From beehives to baskets: awesome buildings inspired by everyday objects
Brilliant and bizarre architectural doppelgangers

High-heel church, Chiayi County, Taiwan

No prizes for guessing this building's look-a-like. Located in Chiayi County, Taiwan, this shoe-shaped structure is, in fact, a church. Sculpted from over 320 tinted glass panels at a cost of £477,000 ($686k), the result is pretty astounding.
High-heel church, Chiayi County, Taiwan

High-heel church, Chiayi County, Taiwan

Famed as the country's most unique wedding venue, the church was recognised by the Guinness World Records in 2016 as the world's largest high-heel shoe-shaped structure.
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The Beehive, Wellington, New Zealand

The Beehive, Wellington, New Zealand

The initial design by Scottish architect Sir Basil Spence didn't prove popular in 1964 when construction began. The Prime Minister at the time, Robert Muldoon, formally opened the building in May 1977 and the government moved into the upper floors in 1979.
The Beehive, Wellington, New Zealand

The Gherkin, London, UK

The Gherkin, London, UK

The towering structure is 591 feet tall, covering 41 floors, with 18 passenger lifts that travel up to 20 feet a second. Alternatively, you can take the 1,037 stairs if you're feeling fit. Mainly built in steel, the building weighs a hefty 10,000 tonnes.
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The Gherkin, London, UK

The Gherkin has become one of the most widely recognised pieces of modern architecture in the City of London. It’s won several awards for its design, with architect Norman Foster awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2006. In 2005, fellow architects also voted the tower the most admired new building in the world as part of the esteemed BD World Architecture 200 survey.
The Armadillo, Glasgow, UK

The Armadillo, Glasgow, UK

The Armadillo, Glasgow, UK

The Teapot, Washington, USA

An example of novelty architecture, this teapot-shaped gas station in Zillah, Washington, was intended as a reminder of the 1922 Teapot Dome Scandal during Warren G Harding's presidency. The debacle saw the fraudulent leasing of the Teapot Dome oil fields by the US Interior Secretary Albert Fall, for which he was later imprisoned.
The Teapot, Washington, USA

The Teapot, Washington, USA

Though it ran as a fully-serviced gas station for several years, the building been relocated several times and was eventually bought by the city of Zillah in 2007. Restored to its former glory but no longer in operation, it was moved in 2012 to 117 First Avenue.
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The Cheesegrater, London, UK

The Cheesegrater, London, UK

The Cheesegrater, London, UK

The Egg, Beijing, China

Formally known as the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), The Egg is a huge dome made of titanium and glass, surrounded by an artificial lake. Thanks to its reflection in the water, the structure takes on the appearance of an egg – albeit one that is perfectly oval.
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The Egg, Beijing, China

The Egg, Beijing, China

The Walkie-Talkie, London, UK

The Walkie-Talkie, London, UK

The Walkie-Talkie, London, UK

The Iceberg, Aarhus, Denmark

An apartment complex in Aarhus, Denmark, the Isbjerget (iceberg) building is part of the district’s plans to transform the former port town into a vibrant new neighbourhood. Completed in 2013, the structures house 7,000 people and 12,000 workplaces, making it one of the largest harbour-front developments in Europe.
The Iceberg, Aarhus, Denmark

The building is unusual in this list, as it was designed to look like an iceberg intentionally, rather than nicknamed by locals. The design makes the most of the spectacular views out over the bay and maximises the amount of sunlight reaching every apartment – which is especially important in the dark northern winters.
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The Iceberg, Aarhus, Denmark

The Picture Frame, Dubai, UAE

The Picture Frame, Dubai, UAE

The Picture Frame, Dubai, UAE

The project was conceived by Fernando Donis, who wanted to create a void that framed the developing city and highlighted its already impressive collection of old and new buildings. However, the building is currently in the middle of legal wrangling over intellectual property, as Donis has alleged he has not been compensated for the design.
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The Screwdriver, Shanghai, China

The Screwdriver, Shanghai, China

The Screwdriver, Shanghai, China

The Eye, Valencia, Spain

The Eye, Valencia, Spain

The Eye, Valencia, Spain

The Bottle Opener, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Bottle Opener, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Bottle Opener, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The most intriguing part of the tower is its ‘bottle opener’ top – an inverted parabolic arch. The 300-tonne sky bridge, which joins the two sides of the tower together, forms a long window-lined corridor for members of the public to take in the incredible views.
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The DNA building, Moscow, Russia

Evolution Tower, which looks like the double helix of a DNA strand, is a key piece of business real estate in Moscow. It was bought for £762 million ($1bn) in 2016 by the Russian state-owned transport company, Transneft as its headquarters.
The DNA building, Moscow, Russia

The DNA building, Moscow, Russia

The Basket, Ohio, USA

The Basket, Ohio, USA

The basket is seven stories high with a floorplan of 180,000 square feet; 160 times larger than its "medium market basket" inspiration. It cost £22.9 million ($30m) to build and was finished in 1997. Inside, there's a central atrium which brings in natural light through a glass roof at the top of the basket.
The Basket, Ohio, USA

After the company folded, local developer Steve Coon bought The Basket for a reported £916,000 ($1.2m) in 2018, significantly less than the asking price of £5.7 million ($7.5m). However, local residents are fond of the building and hope to get it put on the National Register of Historic Places.
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