Some Of Our Favourite Weird And Wacky Roof Designs

There a many strange roofing designs atop some quirky buildings out there, and we’re going to take a quick look at some of our favourite examples…

Casa Batlló

The famous masterpiece the Casa Batlló is located near the heart of Barcelona, and was redesigned by world renowned architect Antoni Gaudí in 1904.

As well as sporting a very distinctively designed exterior and interior, reminiscent of Art Nouveau or Modernisme styles – the building’s striking roof terrace is perhaps its most popular feature. The roof design can look almost like fish scales, but it’s actually representing the spine of a dragon, utilising ceramic tiles with a range of colours. I also has four chimney stacks as decorations designed to prevent backdraughts.

The Brazilian Leaf House

Just outside Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Leaf House sits on a breathtaking beach with its unmistakable flowering roof design that resembles a giant tropical banana leaf.

The architects designed the house to be low-tech and eco-efficient, with its open layout providing plenty of natural ventilation. Its roof was created with sustainability in mind, as it naturally collects and harvest rainwater for later use in the home.

The Core at the Eden Project

The entire architecture of the Core is based on ‘biomimicry’ – at least according to its designer Jolyon Brewis. Meaning the whole structure draws inspiration from nature and natural architectures.

Its trunk like roof has been constructed from a network of timber beams, with their pattern looking similar to Fibonacci spirals – a common pattern found in nature, from pine cones to snail shells. The roof provides plenty of shade for the ground below, whilst also absorbing and harvesting the sun’s rays above.

Tongkonan

The traditional ancestral homes of the Torajan people, an indigenous tribe based in the mountain region of South Sulawesi. These homes are particularly distinguishable due to their very large, boat-shape like roofs – that are oversized compared to the living quarters below.

Each house sits on wooden piles, and the roof itself is layered with bamboo staves that have been tied together with rattan – then shaped into a long sweeping curved arc. These days the  Torajan people are increasingly using zinc sheets and nails to construct their roofs.

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