In a world where land is sparse and property prices are soaring, it makes perfect sense to look for alternative housing locations. Shrewd architects around the world are turning to vacant rooftops to create unique living spaces in cities around the world. Take a look at these striking clandestine pads perched at heady heights.

When you conjure a picture of the real estate market in New York, perhaps the last thing that comes to mind is a lighthouse. Overlooking the Harlem River, this distinctive sky-high building is known as The Little Lighthouse of Highbridge. Installed in 1929 when former owners H.W. Wilson took residence, this landmark has become an iconic part of The Bronx's skyline.

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Entitled A Room For London, this boat-shaped installation once sat atop Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank. Overlooking the River Thames, this naval-themed mini dwelling was a unique one-bed hotel room. Offering fantastic views of the city’s skyline, the space was designed by Living Architecture and built from timber. The best part about a night in the boat? The incredible panoramic views visible from its river-facing windows.

Upon first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything unusual about this historic Art Deco property on the water-front at Bondi Beach. Yet take another look and you may just catch a glimpse of a secret rooftop pad...

That's right, this secluded contemporary home hides behind the building's original Art Deco pediment. Designed by MHNDUNION, the penthouse is made from ultra-lightweight steel and dressed with a composite metallic cladding, resulting in a slick, angular property in the heart of Sydney. Large sheets of frameless glass allow in plenty of natural light and offer uninterrupted views over one of the world’s most iconic beaches.

First appearances can be deceiving and at first glance, this glistening rooftop installation looks just like a rather fancy air duct. Yet this pop-up installation is actually a micro dwelling position on top of a historic warehouse in Hoxton, East London.

Known as the Antepavilion, this futuristic pad was designed by PUP Architects and built from timber. It's covered in recycled Tetra-Pak shingles sourced from a local canned drinks manufacturer.

PUP created the miniature property to encourage local planning officers to re-evaluate Hoxton’s development plans. The architects used a planning loop-hole, which allows commercial properties to erect air ducts without authority permission, to create this ultra-modern and functional living space.

Inside, the Antepavilion features a cosy space ideal for two adults. PUP opened the pop-up pad to the public in August 2018 as part of Open House London, the city’s largest architectural festival. 

Located in the trendy neighbourhood of Tribeca, this wow-factor condo hides at the top of a historic 19^th-century property. Private access can be gained via a coded elevator which opens up to a spacious and elegant apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows and a high-end, designer interior created by CetraRuddy Architects.

Covering almost 4,000 square feet, this impressive condo makes the most of its prestigious location, boasting a gorgeous patio garden where incredible panoramic views of New York City's skyline can be soaked up.

Those lucky enough to be in a position to purchase this home can enjoy the luxury of a 24-hour doorman, valet services and a communal indoor swimming pool.

Currently on the market, this luxurious designer pad could be yours for just over $17 million. We wonder if they take credit card for that…

The Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town is home to truly unique rooftop accommodation. High above the city, this American-style trailer park offers incredible vistas of Table Mountain and provides private sleeping quarters for adventurous guests.

On top of the hotel's roof you will find seven original Airstream trailers, each individually-styled with quirky and characterful interiors. Not just a space for sleeping, the trailer park also features a Sky Bar, an open-air cinema and a covered veranda for cosy alfresco nights. Fancy spending the evening in one of these unique pads? Reservations cost as little as £200 a night!

This quaint New England-style house, with a pretty winding garden and pastel blue facade, is not all that it appears...

Anything but ordinary, this tilted rooftop cottage known as Fallen Star, is actually a public art installation. Situated on top of Jacobs Hall at the University of California, the structure was created by the Korean artist Do Ho Suh.

Part of the University’s Stuart Collection, the project was created to explore the idea of home, our observations of space and how being distanced from home can leave us feeling uncomfortable, something that Suh experienced first-hand when he moved to America in the early 90s.

Inside, the house is tilted and set at different angles, creating a unbalance designed to question the notion of home. The cosy interior is also reminiscent of traditional American properties.

The cottage hangs over the edge of the University's roof and boasts an idyllic sky garden offering incredible panoramic views over San Diego.

The house is semi-visible from the street below, inviting passers-by to look up and think, something that Suh hoped to achieve when designing the installation.

Glance up at this charming suburban-style cottage and you may just think you’re in Cape Cod. Yet this rooftop home actually sits above East 1st Street in Lower Manhattan and comes as a special extra with the duplex condo below it.​

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Covering almost 3,000 square feet, the cottage and duplex boast spacious interiors with high ceilings, exposed wooden beams and lots of windows allowing in plenty of natural light. The sky-high estate also features four bedrooms, an artist’s studio and a recessed lounge.

Yet the best part about this gorgeous city property is its beautiful outdoor garden, offering seclusion from the hustle and bustle of New York, as well as impeccable panoramic vistas.

Fancy owning this incredible four-bed penthouse condo? Well, you’d need a whopping $3,750,000 to even consider it, which is how much the pad went for when it was sold earlier this year.

Devised by LoftCube and Werner Aisslinger Architects, this prefabricated box home sits above Hotel Daniel in the Austrian city of Graz. The compact yet contemporary cube was built off-site and finally installed on top of the hotel in September 2014.

Driven by a desire to ease Austria's housing shortage, LoftCube created a prefabricated pod that could be placed in compact and vacant spaces. The 44 square-metre home offers incredible vistas of the city’s skyline and has become somewhat of a landmark in this seemingly traditional metropolis.

The futuristic cube is made from structural steel with fibreglass cladding. A pod identical to this one could be yours for as little as €119,000.

The concept for the installation was the urban jungle, a theme that's reflected in the cube’s contemporary steel shell with slatted wood cladding.

LoftCube developed a special raindance shower for the cube, which measures just 2.5 square metres. The open shower is enclosed by floor-to-ceiling plants to give guests the illusion of showering in the heart of the jungle

If you’re visiting Graz, a stint in Hotel Daniel's iconic LoftCube can be yours for €350 per night.

Not quite so clandestine, this vibrant rooftop pad is actually a series of private living quarters, a concept devised by Dutch architects MVRDV. Located in the centre of Rotterdam, Didden Village was created to provide the property’s owners with extra space for their growing family.

The loft of the family’s existing home was extended cleverly, utilising previously vacant space to offer extra living room without the need for more land. In 2010 the project was nominated for a City of Rotterdam Architecture Award, for its innovation and quirky design.

Each bedroom is positioned as a separate house - one for the parents and two adjoining children's rooms - providing the whole family with a private living space for rest, work and play. Outside, the rooftop features a quiet village-style oasis above the city streets, aptly suiting the property's name.

The homes amount to just 45 square metres in size, with the outdoor garden terrace covering an impressive 120 square metres. They are joined together by two suspended spiral staircases, so access to both sections can be gained by any member of the family at any time of day.

Perhaps one of the most luxurious hidden homes in the world is this one, in the centre of New York. Located on top of Obsidian House, one of the city’s most significant cast-iron buildings, this rooftop extension adds a contemporary twist to a historic building with a series of sky-high apartments located above the streets.

Designed by Work Architecture Company, New York City’s Landmarks Commission would only allow an extension to be added to this listed building if the structure was made entirely invisible from the street below.

The architects achieved this by hiding the modern, edgy structure behind the building’s ornate charcoal pediment, which the apartments' new roof also mimics.

Cleverly camouflaged on the rooftop, this stunning luxury apartment building is dramatic yet entirely unobtrusive.

Inside, the apartments are clean and minimalist, with compact and ingenious rooms, designed to make the best use of space - something which is in high demand in the Big Apple.

An external garden offers incredible city vistas and the roof also featured a historic elevator shaft, which has been cleverly transformed into a blissful rooftop Jacuzzi! We don't think it gets much better than that!

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