The same way some buildings can leave people in awe because of how impressive they are, others can shock them for all the wrong reasons. Poor planning, terrible choice of materials, or lack of windows – these are just a few features of what can really ruin an edifice, which might end up being ‘showcased’ on the ‘Urban Hell’ subreddit.
Today, that is what we’re focusing on – some of the worst examples of architecture, as shared by members of the ‘Urban Hell’ community. Scroll down to find pictures of some of the most “hideous places human beings built or inhabit”, as the community presents the content itself, and upvote the ones that resemble urban hell to you the most.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Danish Kurani, a designer and the founder of the Kurani architecture firm, who was kind enough to discuss what are some of the most important things to consider before constructing a building (so it doesn’t end up on the subreddit).
#1 Detroit In 1882 And 2017
Image source: bclx99
#2 One Of My Favorite Pictures Of Macau. Hotel Grand Lisboa In The Background
Image source: Thossi99
#3 The Ponds, A Suburb In Sydney. Packed In Like Sardines
Image source: Sort_of_Frightening
#4 Chongqing, China
Image source: slavabien
#5 Hong Kong’s Incredibly Dense And Soulless Buildings
Image source: katxwoods
#6 Jalousie Neighborhood In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
Image source: _cool2
#7 Planned Towns Built For Forcibly Relocated Tibetan Families In Markham, Tibet By The CCP
Image source: Lincoin02202
#8 Hong Kong Apartments
Image source: Green____cat
#9 I’m In Chongqing At The Moment…
Image source: AdEffective1222
#10 Cairo, Egypt
Image source: True_Smile3261
#11 The City Of Belem Is Tearing Down A Forest Park To Build A Highway For The United Nations Climate Change Conference
Image source: broadway_beer
#12 China
Image source: hello_Eggplants
#13 Mumbai, India
Image source: BaronVonBroccoli
#14 Spaghetti Junction In Kl, Malaysia
Image source: Cultural_Skin_1276
#15 A Street In Mansoura, Egypt, With All The Signs For Doctors’ Offices
Image source: Ok-Doctor-2238
#16 Main And Delaware Street, Kansas City
Image source: Kuzu9
#17 Cape Town, South Africa. One Of The Richest Cities On The Continent
Image source: Ill_Information75
#18 Mumbai, India
Image source: Epsilon-Phoenix
#19 Everything Wrong With American Cities, In One City Block
Image source: Codraroll
#20 Temirtau, Kazakhstan
Image source: BaronVonBroccoli
#21 A Street In Egypt Before And After Renovation
Image source: mr_gooodguy
#22 Night In Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵
Image source: Fun-Explanation1199
#23 “Us Cities Were Built For Cars” (Downtown Cincinnati, 1890 vs. 2023)
Image source: slicheliche
#24 Amazon Data Centers Under Construction Near Homes In Stone Ridge, Virginia
Image source: GnolRevilo
#25 Azerbaijan Style Balcony
Image source: olisovenko
#26 Once The Pride Of India Now Left In Shambles , Kolkata West Bengal High Solid Waste And Air Pollution
Image source: Stroov
#27 This Is Just Plain Idiotic Urban Planning
Image source: iv2892
#28 Shades With No Seats vs. Seats With No Shades
Image source: HKAdrian0811
#29 Faridabad, India Open Garbage Disposal Is Huge Problem Here, However No One Pay Attention To It
Image source: No-Weird-2120
#30 Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Urban Car Centric Nightmare
Image source: Sm_0l
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