叹为观止的世界18座奇特造型建筑

图13 莲花寺（又名灵曦堂）

City: New Delhi, India

地点：印度，新德里

Background: Officially known as the Bah '’ House of Worship, this temple is one of the most visited structures in India. Over 8000 people attended its opening ceremony in 1986.

背景：

正式名称为巴哈伊宗教教院，它是印度参观人数最多的寺院之一。超过8000人参加了1986年举行的开幕式。

How It's Strange: The building is designed to represent the lotus flower, a religious symbol for various religions prevalent in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. "When it comes to spiritual architecture," Israel says, "you're looking for some kind of personal meaning or connection." The temple consists of three sets of petals, covered in marble, and it is open at the top.

图14 小圣堂

City: Colorado Springs, Colo.

地点：美国，科罗拉多州，科罗拉多斯普林斯市

Background: The chapel is part of the United States Air Force Academy. It's an all-faith place of worship, with four separate chapels—one for Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Buddhists.

背景：

小圣堂是美国空军学院的一部分。它是各种信仰的礼拜堂，包括四个小教堂——分别供基督教徒、天主教徒、犹太教徒和佛教徒使用。

How It's Strange: This chapel is a spiritual building designed to have viewers experience religion—and the house of worship—in a new way, Israel says. It consists of 17 spires soaring 150 feet into the air.

图15 尼泰罗伊当代艺术博物馆

City: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

地点：巴西，里约热内卢

Background: The building, opened in 1996, serves as a museum.

背景：

这座建筑于1996年落成，现在是一家博物馆。

How It's Strange: The circular building resembles a UFO. A cylinder 29.5 feet in diameter supports the entire structure, which makes it seem like it's floating above the surrounding water. In addition, the building was treated with a heat-resistant material that has been used to protect NASA rockets.

图16 方块屋

City: Rotterdam, Netherlands

地点：荷兰，鹿特丹

Background: The 38 cubes, built on top of a pedestrian bridge in 1984, are residential homes that overlook a commercial area with restaurants and shops.

背景：

建于1984年的方块屋由38个立方体组成，坐落在一座人行天桥的顶部，这些用作住宅的方块屋可以俯瞰一条由旅馆和店铺组成的商业街。

How It's Strange: Architect Piet Blom wanted each cube to represent an abstract tree—taken together, all the cubes are supposed to make a forest. The tilted cubes sit on hexagonal poles. Each one is three stories, with the top story a three-sided pyramid covered in windows.

图17 亚历山大图书馆

City: Alexandria, Egypt

地点：埃及，亚历山大

Background: The library is located almost exactly where an ancient Egyptian library once stood. This modern version rises 11 stories and attracts 1 million visitors a year.

背景：

这座图书馆的所在地曾经是一座古埃及图书馆。而今的图书馆共有11层楼，每年吸引100万游客前来参观。

How It's Strange: The most striking feature of the library is its large, slanted disc, which represents a rising sun. This is supposed to symbolize an emerging place of learning; in addition, sun discs played a role in ancient Egyptian religion and mythology.

图18 白俄罗斯国家图书馆

City: Minsk, Belarus

地点：白俄罗斯，明斯克

Background: The Belarus National Library's design was selected in an international contest in 1989, but construction didn't begin until 2002.

背景：

白俄罗斯国家图书馆的设计方案是在1989年的国际竞标中挑选出的，但直到2002年才动工兴建。

How It's Strange: The goal of making such common buildings look weird, Israel says, is to make them "landmarks within a city, not only spaces that have practical function." This one is meant to resemble a diamond.