Ugliest buildings in the UK revealed

Brits have been warned to not look up at these buildings around the UK as they are being dubbed as crimes against architecture.

Photography experts at ParrotPrint.com have named ten of the ugliest buildings across the UK, which they say will not be winning any beauty awards for their looks.

The UK architecture industry is renowned for its talent and innovation, home to three out of the top 10 universities for architecture in the world.

However, these structures seem to deviate from Britain’s usual construction reputation.

With a lack of design, the architects of these buildings have replaced aesthetic pleasure with functionalism; they look cheap, quick, and ugly.

Described by many as a sight for sore eyes, it has been reported that one of the buildings identified has even been denounced by royalty in a critique of architectural disasters in the UK.

Matt Dahan from ParrotPrint.com said: “Architects have understood since the dawn of construction that a building should be functional and beautiful.

“However, this concept has been lost in these designs; I would go as far as to say these are crimes against architecture. If I were in the area, I would not even want to look up at them.

“Many of these buildings across the country are certainly the definition of the brutalist architecture style which swept designers in the 1950s to 70s – such as Central Church in Devon.

“And some are a reflection of this bad taste in a modern form – like the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.”

According to research by ParrotPrint.com, these are the ugliest buildings in the UK:

1. Birmingham – Centre City Tower

 Described as an ‘eyesore’ by many, this building is undoubtedly unpleasant, and due to its sheer height, it is also hard to miss. Locals tend to tell newcomers to close their eyes as they leave New St Station at the Station Street exit where it is located so that they don’t ruin their visit to Brum before it has started.

2. Glasgow – Glasgow College Building

This multi-story building, unfortunately, dominates the skyline of Glasgow. To make it worse, a giant pink sign was added to the building, which adds an unwanted blinding pop of pink to the view of Glasgow.

3. Northern Ireland – Belfast City Hospital

 King Charles is said to have criticised the Belfast City Hospital for its architecture, and his opinion is widely vouched for. Its distinctive orange-brown colour stands out as an eyesore along the Belfast skyline for locals and tourists alike.

4. Edinburgh – Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament may have won awards in the past for its architecture but it certainly looks out of place in the surrounding natural landscape. But the grey, sharp-looking exterior contrasts with the beautiful wooden structure inside the Parliament which houses intense activity and debates. 

5. Wales – County Hall, Flintshire

Often described as the fake ‘Legoland’ of North Wales, this office complex is home to Flinshire’s County Council team and is the pinnacle of the unattractive 1960s British architecture. The Hall looks rather like a breezeblock with symmetrical windows settled in between large concrete surrounds.  

6. London – Balfron Tower

This 26-storey high residential block in East London was a controversial architectural decision in the mid-1960s when it was built, and remains that way now. Certainly not known for its beauty, Balfron Tower stands out as one of the ugliest amongst the thousands of unique buildings in the capital city.

7. Nottingham – Victoria Centre

This well-known shopping centre in the heart of Nottingham city centre stands on the site of the previous railway station which was demolished in the late-1960s. Just the hotel and clock tower remains of the old, charming architecture and was replaced by the unattractive, concrete shopping centre.

8. Liverpool – Pier Head ferry terminal

Certainly a unique looking building, the striking ferry terminal stands as a modern symbol of the revival of the famed Liverpool docks. But the building itself is deemed by many as an eyesore along the waterfront with its dramatic, incongruous shape.

9. Manchester – Toast Rack

This modernist building has been Grade II listed because of its distinctive and dramatic shape. The concrete Toast Rack has curved poles on the roof, hence the name, which also symbolises the buildings once used as a catering college.

10. Devon – Central Church, Torquay

Despite the beautiful natural scenery which Devon is known for, Central Church dominates the town of Torquay with its outlandish and unappealing architecture. The church features a tall tower at the front with three crosses, supposedly symbolising the union of the three religious congregations. Central church is considered by many as the archetype of brutalist architecture from the 1970s.