Crazy and Unique Roofs You Never Knew Existed

Your roof is a critical focal point of your building exterior, and as such, you must get the design right. It's not just about choosing whether your roof should be traditional pitched, flat, or curved. It also entails the structural system used and how it should be insulated. When it comes to roof design, numerous factors come into play in creating a solution that works from both a practical and aesthetic point of view.

However, not all people pour more consideration into the functionality and practicality of a roof. These people like to take things a little bit extra and go beyond the norm when roofing. Architects and engineers now go beyond the norm and create roofs with outrageous designs. Because it is not always possible to travel to see all the buildings with peculiar roofs, Best Access Doors made it our mission to bring these buildings to you instead.

Please take a look at this compilation that we put up on some of the crazy and unique roof designs that you never knew existed!

The Mushroom House of Bethesda

This mushroom house has a resemblance to the work of Antoni Gaudi, with a concrete roof that bends and curves in unique ways. The roof of this house has several skylights that shine light into the interior.

Grotto Dome House in Austin

The Grotto Dome is a uniquely shaped house design in 1978 by architect John Watson, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. Its domed roof and walls of windows open up to a lush forest on the outside. Its fireplace that extends from the ceiling also gives it a retro-chic vibe.

Wat Rong Khun in Thailand

The Wat Rong Khun is also known as the White Temple in English. It is a personal project of artist and devout Buddhist Chalermchai Kositpipat. He built this structure in 1997 and continues to expand the same. Each element of this temple is full of intricate, hand-sculpted details. The roof also depicts Buddha, concealed among the flourishes. There are also mythical creatures and modern pop culture figures displayed and scattered throughout the several buildings that make up the temple. The materials used for this temple, including the roof, are specialized plaster, glass, and mirrors.

Hospice de Beaune in France

In the 15th century, the Hospice de Beaune served as a charity hospital for the Beaune's poor. Today, this building serves as a hotel and museum. The roof creates striking geometrical patterns amidst the building's dormers and turrets because of its carefully arranged brown, red, yellow, and green tiles. Such a roof became a status symbol for French princes and wealthy city dwellers in the past.

New York Life Building

This building has been standing in New York with its golden crown since 1928. Cass Gilbert, an influential designer, is the mastermind behind the golden cap. The roof is an 88 feet tall octagon, covered in thousands of 22-carat gold leaf tiles. The golden roof also consists of copper, which also gets tarnished by time. However, New York Life doesn't fail in cleaning and restoring the roof regularly.

Casa Batllo

The Casa Batllo or House of Bones has an unbelievable, vibrant roof, created by Antoni Gaudi. This structure has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is very popular as a tourist attraction in Barcelona. The roof is widely-believed to represent the back of a dragon. If you look at it closely, the iridescent ceramic tiles are the dragon's scales, there is a window for the dragon's eye, and the ridge of the roof is the dragon's spine. Some people believe that the spire represents the mythical spear of Saint George, the patron saint of Gaudi's hometown, who slew a dragon to save a princess.

Waldspirale in Germany

The name Waldspirale is the German word for "forest spiral." This peculiar apartment building got its name for its vast "U" shaped green roof. Some of its lucky inhabitants get their roof garden slice, which grows trees, grasses, and vegetables since it is deep enough. The artist of the building, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, wanted to connect people with nature, and he believed that green roofs or roofs that support plant life would become a norm for buildings.

California Academy of Sciences

This academy's rolling green roof looks high-tech and natural while with its glass, solar panels, and vegetations. It is an impressive feat of 1.7 million trays that hold foliage of different native plants that provide habitat for local insects and animals. Just beneath the seven raised domes of the green roof are planetariums, aquariums, and a rainforest designed for research, learning, and exploration. The roof is also good at keeping the building temperature regulated and captures 100 percent of the excess stormwater that pours into it. This roof is proof that a cutting-edge roof is not only limited to looks but can also contribute to our knowledge about the world.

The Takeaway

Ever since people have discovered building construction, different aspects of a building have long since evolved. Unique roofs are now becoming acceptable, and other societies worldwide cultivate roofing traditions that show their culture, climate, values, art, and religion. Most of the roofs on this list have such unique designs to achieve a purpose-- they save energy, connect us with nature, entertain us, and help us learn something that anyone has never heard of. Roofs are there to protect and, most importantly, shelter us from the harsh outside elements. But with today's technology and knowledge, they have an immense potential to do so much more. We can soon expect every house in the world has a solar panel installed, drastically reducing energy consumption.

Be informed and entertained at the same time while reading our articles! Visit our blog page check out some of our more informative blogs. And suppose you coincidentally happen to be a construction contractor looking for access doors and panels. In that case, you can always rely on Best Access Doors to provide reliable and high-quality products!