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If asked to picture a cozy home, most of us would probably have a few attributes in common, warm light, soft furniture, perhaps a fireplace. One would think that these attributes would also then feature in the minds of the people who design them. But, as it turns out, some architects really have their own agenda.
The aptly named “Evil Buildings” online group is dedicated to exactly that, man-made structures that really seem like they were intended to serve as a supervillain’s lair. So get comfortable as you look at these pointedly uncomfortable buildings, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts in the comments below.
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#1
“Church” Of Scientology - Kansas City, Mo
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#2
The Iron Fountain In Armenia
#3
German Observation Tower In Guernsey
Many of the buildings here share some common attributes, aged concrete slabs, industrial designs, imposing forms that, at a glance, seem like a place a supervillain would hide their superweapon. Even the name of this style, brutalism, conjures up a stark, harsh reality. As an architectural style and philosophy, it’s often misunderstood, but it presents a heavily human-centered solution to architecture in its emphasis on honesty, longevity, and community in ways that many other styles neglect.
Brutalist buildings reveal their concrete purpose and shape without hiding supports or relying on decorative facades. This honesty creates an unadorned relationship between form and function so that people can see how spaces engage with each other and what they are utilized for by simply observing the building itself.
#4
When A Building Is So Evil It Can Walk Away From The Scene Of It's Own Crime. -An Old Home In Norway
#5
Qatar's Crescent Tower
#6
Benito Mussolini’s Headquarters ”palazzo Braschi” In Rome 1934
Concrete's durability provides sustainability and long-term value. Its thermal mass can control indoor climates naturally, storing heat energy during the day and releasing it at night, with the potential for reducing dependency on mechanical heating and cooling. Minimal repairs are required over the course of decades because of the resilience of these buildings, making them resource-effective in their life cycle.
#7
The Headquarters Of Caixa Geral De Depósitos (A Bank In Portugal)
#8
Hallgrímskirkja Church In Iceland
#9
Giant Soviet Abandoned Antenna
The cheapness of this material is another feature, not a “bug.” While it might seem cold and uncomfortable, many “brutalists” would argue that homelessness is a lot worse. By using materials that are easy to transport and manufacture, cities can be transformed, slums removed and even working class families can get access to normal, livable amenities. Some architects are always more skilled than others, but that remains true no matter what style they embrace.
#11
Brutalism In Berlin. A Building Cult
Hippopotamuses 3 days ago (edited)
Why have cannon sticking out from the side? It looks like some kind of Brutalist battle cruiser style.
#12
Downtown Cleveland This Morning
The majority of the Brutalist structures came as a result of the post-war needs and supported modular, flexible designs. Architecture that integrates the living area, play areas, and paths of circulation in one form was developed for real communities whose needs shift over time. Flexibility respects human lives and allows space to modify the use of space according to requirements.
#13
St. Nikolai Memorial Cathedral (Hamburg, De)
#14
This Old Factory
#15
St. Louis Cathedral In The Fog. Jackson Square - New Orleans, Louisiana
Brutalist buildings normally served a civic function, attempting to serve society in the guise of housing, town halls, and libraries. The strength, occasionally drama, of the buildings was intended to convey collective worth and institutional pride, rather than elitism. Such monumentality has the power to generate involvement and a common sense of identity rooted in place.
#16
Massive Cooling Tower With Stairs
#17
It's The Lighting That Really Sells The Menace For Me
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 3 days ago
The Shadowless Church, also known as the Sino-French Agricultural Science and Technology Park Church, is a unique architectural marvel located in Chengdu, China. It's characterized by its all-white, minimalist design, constructed primarily from aluminum. The church is known for its unique ability to allow light to pass through its structure, creating a "shadowless" effect, especially when bathed in sunlight. Its design, inspired by the lavender fields of Provence and Impressionist art, is intended to evoke freedom, romance, and inclusivity. Those last three and this photo combined, not so much.
#18
Beijing Data Building
Despite appearances of coldness, the majority of Brutalist designs incorporated social interaction and access, with communal terraces, walkways, and in-house services included in the design. These elements were meant to provide opportunity for neighborly encounters and shared experience, mirroring the idea that buildings must facilitate human contact.
#19
Keisuke Oka’s Arimaston Building, Tokyo
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 3 days ago
Oka began this project in 2005, armed with basic hand tools and a vision. The building’s twisting concrete form reveals his improvisational approach, shaped day by day without rigid plans. Its angular windows and irregular surfaces aren’t mere details; they reflect the rhythm of making—decisions carved into concrete with each pour. Oka even incorporated everyday objects like food trays into the formwork, creating subtle patterns and textures that reward close attention. The building reads like a conversation between sculpture and architecture. It feels personal, almost human, as though each wall carries traces of the hands that shaped it. Despite its unconventional construction, the Arimaston Building is no relic of the past—it’s fully integrated into the urban fabric, yet unapologetically individual. Now completed, the structure faces an unusual challenge: to be relocated in 2025 due to redevelopment. Using the traditional Japanese hikiya method, the entire building will be moved.
#20
We Bones That Lie Here Wait For Yours
#21
Pitch In Front Of A Wwii Bunker In Hamburg
Interest has been revived in the practicality and genuineness of Brutalism over the last few years. Its straightforward structure and raw surfaces ignite contemporary reinterpretations, such as concrete furniture, sustainable reinterpretations which pair exposed material with plant life, and these reinterpretations are able to diminish urban tension while encouraging biodiversity, proving how the ideals of Brutalism remain valid.
#22
The Times Square Building New Years Day, Rochester NY
#23
Evil/Cyberpunk Looking Residential Skyscraper, Bangkok
#24
The Edifício Fiesp, São Paulo, Brazil 1979
Finally, Brutalism is not simply a matter of massive concrete forms. It is based on transparency, rendering construction honest and legible; resilience, designing to last and be low maintenance; functionality, shaping spaces according to actual human needs; civic purpose, elevating public institutions and a community focus, designing for public interaction. By prioritizing usefulness in real life over prettification, Brutalism can be a model for intentional, people-focused design instead of something obsolete.
#25
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
#26
A Dystopian View From Halle, East Germany, 1975
#27
Rheinturm In Germany, The Ultimate Villains Lair
#28
Umeda Sky Building Osaka Japan
#29
The Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin Looks Like A Base For The Galactic Empire
#30
Oakley Headquarters In Foothill Ranch, California
#31
Cathedral T-800
#32
Hyatt Regency
#35
University Of Evil
#36
Mormon Temple, California
Grape Walls of Ire 2 days ago
I'm sure once the construction is complete, it will look less menacing. Then again, knowing it's a Mormon temple will still make it creepy as fúck.
#37
Boston Government Service Center
#38
Baby Tower, Fuzhou, China, Used To Abandon Unwanted Babies
#39
Water Tower In Former Uthemann Ironworks
#40
The Zeppelinfield, The Building Adolf Hitler Made His Speeches From During The Annual Nuremberg Rallies From 1933-38
#41
170 Years Old, Abandoned Steam Mill In Bucharest
ABC NrTen FCK CENSORISM 2 days ago
Beautiful brickwork. Certainly no "evil" vibes here, for me at least.
#42
The Kyoto International Conference, Japan
#43
Castelgrande, In Bellinzona, Switzerland
#44
The Editing Makes This The Most Sinister Dairy Queen Ever
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 3 days ago
"I am about to to be sucked into another realm or maybe die, trying to order a Cheesequake Blizzard!"
#45
Pagoda In Pa
#46
Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago Il
#48
Sancaklar Mosque, Turkey
Janissary35680 1 day ago
Do a Google image search using "sancaklar camii". It's really a beautiful building.
#49
The Calvary Church In Nc
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What do you think ?
BrunoVI 1 day ago
I'm all for bashing brutalism, but too many of those are simply beautiful buildings in dark skies or people expressing their own hatred
Panda McPandaface 1 day ago
The title never mentions brutalism. Evil buildings.
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BrunoVI 1 day ago
I'm all for bashing brutalism, but too many of those are simply beautiful buildings in dark skies or people expressing their own hatred
Panda McPandaface 1 day ago
The title never mentions brutalism. Evil buildings.
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