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From Gaudi to Hadid, architects have always pushed the boundaries to create urban spaces that excite, inspire and engage. However, sometimes their designs invoke only stunned silence, raised eyebrows and a slight chuckle.
The greatest mirth is often saved for architects who seek to replicate the form of another object in their buildings.
Call it lazy but it is a strategy that has given us some stunning buildings, most noticeably the Sydney Opera House's upturned boat yard and the Burj al Arab's stunning sail.
Florida's new giant guitar
The latest piece from the 'something else as a building' files comes from Florida where the Seminole native American tribe has proposed a new $US1.8 billion, 800-room, 34-storey guitar.
Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen spoke of the tribe's aims to create an icon. “We could have easily just built some rectangular building…but the tribe is once again trying to create something that is iconic, that creates international tourism coming to Florida,” he said to the Sun Sentinel. “We truly believe that design alone will create additional tourism.”
India Finds nemo
Located in Rajendra Naga, this giant fish was constructed in response to requests that a Fishery Ministry be established to combat low export rates and subpar existing structures. It’s called the Mastya Bhavan and at four stories tall it redefines the term “big fish”.
It was inaugurated in April 2012 by Sharas Pawar, India’s agricultural minister, in the hopes that it would substantially boost exports in the coming years.
The giant fish in India should keep a keen eye on Sweden's giant cat. The Die Katze childcare centre is located in the German town of Wolfartweier and is attened by more than 100 kids every day.
Students enter through the mouth of the cat into the belly. According to the architects the design has "a level of quirkiness that befits a child's sense of humor and breadth of knowledge".
The greatest piece of all
No story about great architecture that looks like something else would be complete without the greatest piece of fruit architecture of all time - the Big Pineapple.
The Big Pineapple became an instant icon the moment it was opened on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in 1971.
