Unusual Architecture in the USA

The Kansas City Public Library The Kansas City Public Library in Missouri, United States, is considered one of the most unusual buildings in America and in the world. The building’s parking ramp or popularly known as Community Bookshelf surely catches the attention of passers-by. The façade resembles a gigantic book shelf measuring 25 feet by 9 feet and showcasing mammoth copies of 22 classics such as Romeo and Juliet, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and even Lord of the Rings. Another popular attraction of the building is the small movie theater which in the past was the bank’s vault. Kansas City Library also offers daily film showings, poetry sessions for kids, and other events such as rap evenings for teens.

The Basket Building The Basket Building (Ohio, USA) is the world’s largest basket- shaped building which is 160 times larger than the medium market basket. The Basket Building is the headquarters of an American Company, The Longaberger Company. The company is the manufacturer of handcrafted maple wood baskets, the Medium Market Basket. The company is located in Newark, Ohio, United States. It is a seven storey building with an area of 180,000 square feet. The building accommodates around 500 employees. The basket handles weigh 150 tons which can be heated during cold weather to prevent ice damage. It was opened on 17 December, The Basket Building is the exact replica of its best seller and it reminds its product.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (Ohio, USA) is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best- known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way, influenced the music industry. The museum is part of the city's redeveloped North Coast Harbor. Designed by I.M. Pei, the building rises above the shores of Lake Erie. It is a combination of bold geometric forms and dynamic cantilevered spaces that are anchored by a 162-foot tower. The tower supports a dual- triangular-shaped glass "tent" that extends (at its base) onto a 65,000-square-foot plaza that provides a main entry facade. The building houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as administrative offices, a store, and a café.

The Mushroom House The Mushroom House (La Jolla, California) was designed by architect Dale Naegle and built in 1968 for Mr. Sam Bell from Bell's Potato Chips. Sam Bell bought a summer house among the rocks overlooking the Pacific Ocean and wanted to see it in futuristic design and his wish came true. This oceanfront house called "The Pavilion" has an unusual design which was meant to withstand earthquakes, rock slides, fire and inclement weather. In order to reach the house, a near-vertical tramway was built. A mushroom shaped house in all its glory is considered to be a well-known sightseeing of La Jolla and a very attractive place for visitors from the United States and abroad.

National Museum of American Indian National Museum of American Indian (Washington, USA). Many groups of Native Peoples contributed to the design of the National Museum of the American Indian. Rising five stories, the curvilinear building is constructed to resemble natural stone formations. The exterior walls are made with gold- colored Kasota limestone from Minnesota. Other materials include granite, bronze, copper, maple, cedar, and alder. At the entrance, acrylic prisms capture the light. The National Museum of the American Indian is set in a 4.25 acres landscape that recreates early American forests, meadows, and wetlands.

Lucy, the Elephant Shaped Building in New Jersey He used wood and tin as the materials for the building it and in time people living there got attached to it, giving the building the “pet” name of Lucy. The history of this unusual building is long enough to cover all sorts of stories, as Lucy housed in turns restaurants, business office and tavern, it was struck by lightning and now the local people want to save it from self-demolishing. Lucy, the Elephant Shaped Building in New Jersey. Most people would say they are dreaming, but people in Margate, New Jersey would say that they are in front of their landmark – Lucy, the Elephant. This was one of the first zoomorphic buildings in the world, as it was designed by the American architect James F. Lafferty in 1882.