The cement concrete exterior of Boston City Hall helped it land as number 4 on Buildworld’s list of the ugliest buildings in the world -- and as the second ugliest building in America. (Keith Bedford/Globe Staff/Getty Images)
Buildworld, a go-to source for building materials in the United Kingdom, has ranked the ugliest buildings in the world with help from Twitter.
Nine of the 10 ugliest buildings were found to be in the U.S. or UK, according to Buildworld’s research. They compiled a list of buildings known to be unpopular and used a tool called HuggingFace to analyze just how often people tweeted negative thoughts about each building’s design.
Their analysis found the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh gets the most negative chatter online — making it the world's ugliest building.
Top 5 ugliest buildings in the world
Ranking in at number 1 on Buildworld’s list of the ugliest buildings in the world, the Scottish Parliament building is pictured in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh, on September 30, 2008. (ED Jones/AFP via Getty Images) The J. Edgar Hoover Building was ranked as the ugliest building in the United States, and came in as the second ugliest building in the world on Buildworld’s list. (Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) The steel-looking spiral design of Newport Train Station in Wales ranked number 3 on Buildworld’s list of ugliest buildings in the world. (Photo by View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) The cement concrete exterior of Boston City Hall helped it land as number 4 on Buildworld’s list of the ugliest buildings in the world -- and as the second ugliest building in America. (Keith Bedford/Globe Staff/Getty Images) Not shown in this picture of Preston Train Station in England is the slanted, gray shanty-looking entrance. The station ranked as the fifth ugliest building in the world on Buildworld’s list. (via Getty Images) - Scottish Parliament Building: Edinburgh, Scotland (42% of tweets criticizing building’s design)
- J. Edgar Hoover Building: Washington, D.C., USA (38%)
- Newport Station: Newport, Wales (25.73%)
- Boston City Hall Boston, USA (25%)
- Preston Train Station: Preston, England (20%) (not pictured)
A list of the 10 ugliest buildings in the U.S. is below.
The Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh: 2004
The branch-shaped design of the building is said to reference Scottish architectural history and mirrors the landscape. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) The Scottish Parliament Building is made from a mixture of steel, oak, and granite. (Photo by Michael Wolchover/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) The unique exterior of the Scottish Parliament building. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Michael Wolchover/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) Queen Elizabeth II presides over the opening of the sixth session of Parliament on October 2, 2021. (Photo by Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images) The branch-shaped design is said to have references to Scottish architectural history and was created to mirror the landscape. The building was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2004.
The design is said to mimic the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament itself: openness, accessibility, sharing power and equal opportunity.
It’s made from a mixture of steel, oak, and granite.
J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C.: 1975
The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, D.C. ranked as the ugliest building in the U.S. and the second ugliest building in the world, according to Buildworld. (Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images) For economic reasons at the time, poured concrete was insisted to be the major outside building material. (Photo by Brendan SmialowskiAFP via Getty Images) The building has an open mezzanine and courtyard, but access to the courtyard is limited. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The building that houses the FBI headquarters is the least-loved building in America, Buildworld found.
The building was approved in the early 1960s and wasn’t dedicated until 1975.
For economic reasons at the time, poured concrete was insisted to be the major outside building material, contrasting with the traditional marble, granite, or limestone government buildings — though poured concrete was a major architectural style of the ‘60s.
The building has an open mezzanine and courtyard, but access to the courtyard is limited, and most of the first floor is closed to facilitate security.
Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang: Unopened
North Korea's tallest structure, the Ryugyong Hotel, ranked as the seventh ugliest building in the world, according to Buildworld. It is shown here in 2011. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images) Construction of the Ryugyong Hotel began in 1987 but still remains incomplete to this day. The building is shown here in 2008. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images) A light show is displayed on the Ryugyong Hotel amid the city skyline of Pyongyang on September 6, 2018. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images) The Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea’s capital, nicknamed the "Hotel of Doom," is notable because it’s the only building outside of the U.S. and U.K. to make the top 10 list. It ranked at number 7.
The pyramid-shaped 105-story building has towered over the skyline since 1987 and is still unfinished, with no public date for when, or if, it will host guests. It has gone through several phases of design changes.
Questions remain over whether the glass-and-concrete hotel is structurally sound, according to a report from Associated Press in 2018.
Top 10 ugliest buildings in the U.S.
Number 10 - The Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images Number 9 - The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images) Number 8 - The James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) Number 7 - U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) Number 6 - The Trump Tower in Las Vegas. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) Number 5 - The Denver International Airport. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) Number 4 - The Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Number 3 - The Verizon Building in Manhattan. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) The cement concrete exterior of Boston City Hall helped it land as number 4 on Buildworld’s list of the ugliest buildings in the world -- and as the second ugliest building in America. (Keith Bedford/Globe Staff/Getty Images) The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, D.C. ranked as the ugliest building in the U.S. and the second ugliest building in the world, according to Buildworld. (Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images) - 10. Florida State Capitol: Tallahassee
- 9. Alamodome: San Antonio
- 8. Thompson Center: Chicago
- 7. US Bank Stadium: Minneapolis
- 6. Trump Tower: Las Vegas
- 5. The Denver International Airport: Colorado
- 4. Watergate complex: Washington, D.C.
- 3. Verizon Building: New York
- 2. Boston City Hall: Boston
- 1. J. Edgar Hoover Building: Washington, D.C.
See Buildworld’s full list from around the world here.
This story was reported from Detroit.