dwellings perched incredibly precariously
Holman House Australia
1
. Inspired by Picasso s The Bather, this cliff top house by Durbach Block Jaggers dangles over the sea for spectacular views.
.....
Meteora Monasteries Greece
2
. In Greek, meteora means suspended in air. There could be no better name for this mind blowing monastic settlement.
.....
The HemLoft Canada
3
. Looking almost like a drop of dew, this secret treehouse hangs (somewhat illegally) on a precipitous slope, in a towering stand of hemlocks in Whistler, Canada. If you ever have to be a squatter, this is the way to do it.
.....
Castellfollit de la Roca Catalonia
4
. Situated on a narrow basalt rock face in Catalonia, tucked between the Fluvi
.....
Cliff House Calpe Spain
5
. Designed by architect Fran Silvestre, this white lime stucco covered private residence overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, and was built using reinforced concrete slabs pinned to rock.
.....
The Hanging Houses Spain
6
. Cuenca s Hanging Houses (Casas Colgadas) were built on a cliff overlooking the Hu
.....
Sky High Treehouse France
7
. Balanced delicately among the brances of a 130 foot Austrian pine, you ll get your cardio in while walking up all the stairs to this spectacular tree house. But the views of nearby Lake Geneva will be worth it.
.....
River House Serbia
8
. This small cabin, built on a rocky island in the middle of the Drina River, was constructed by a group of boys in 1968 as a clubhouse. It clearly puts my childhood forts to shame.
.....
Fallingwater Pennsylvania
9
. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater is built into a mountainside and perched over a series of picturesque waterfalls. Wright did such a good job of meshing the home with the surrounding landscape, some of the boulders upon which it is built actually protrude into the interior.
.....
Monte Rosa Hut Swiss Alps
10
. This spaceship looking building is actually a way station for mountaineers that s perched atop the Gorner Glacier in the Pennine Alps.
.....
Villa Amanzi Phuket Thailand
11
. This spectacular house is nestled into a narrow ravine that overlooks the Azure sea. That didn t stop them from sliding a sweet pool in over the massage sala (don t worry I had to Google it too it means open pavilion where you get awesome massages).
.....
Stahl House Hollywood Hills
12
. The Stahl House is a modernist styled house designed by architect Pierre Koenig in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, California.
.....
Socotra Island Indian Ocean
13
. So many rare and exotic species call this island home, it s almost like another planet. But for now, we ll just focus on one species (human) and the dizzying city that they built on top of a coastal cliff.
.....
Takasugi an Teahouse Japan
14
. It looks straight out of Dr. Seuss but there s nothing fictional about this tea house on stilts designed by modern architect Terunobu Fujimori.
.....
Fallen Star San Diego
15
. No, you re not seeing things. That really is a house dangling off the side of Jacobs Hall at the University of California San Diego. It s technically a sculpture, built as the 18th addition to the school s Stuart Collection.
.....
Upside Down House Poland
16
. House dangling off the side of a building not enough for ya? Have one that s turned completely upside down instead. Built by Polish businessman and philanthropist Daniel Czapiewski, this topsy turvy house is perched in the tiny village of Szymbark. It is meant to be a profound statement about the Communist era and the chaotic state of the world.
.....
Mirrorcube Sweden
17
. Without exactly the right perspective, you wouldn t even be able to separate this amazing tree hotel from the surrounding foliage. Accessible only by a 12 meter long bridge, those brave enough to journey into the Mirrorcube are rewarded with a double bed, bathroom, lounge, and rooftop terrace.
.....
Just Enough Room Island
18
. Thousand Islands (no relation to the salad dressing) is an archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River. This is one of the smallest, appropriately named Just Enough Room. You can see why.
.....
Xuankong Temple China
19
. Fifteen hundred years after its construction (allegedly by a single man) this hanging temple in China s Shanxi Province still dangles 300 feet above the river bed.
.....
Balancing Barn Suffolk
20
. This shiny vacation home in the English countryside is the epitome of an optical illusion. When It is only when visitors reach the end of the track that they suddenly experience the full length of the volume of the residence, suspended in mid air by nothing but a bit of clever engineering.
.....
The UFO Sweden
21
. This sci fi fantasy is owned by the same brilliant minds that created the Mirrorcube. Suspended in the trees of Harads, Sweden, visitors should be prepared to jet off to worlds unknown at least in their dreams.
.....
HP Tree House Australia
22
. This gorgeous Australian residence, designed by MMP Architects, is meant to disturb the forest as little as possible. Which explains why the structure is lifted above the sloping terrain using a galvanized steel support framework.
.....
Nut House Dusseldorf
23
. This nut shaped house is mostly supported by stilts, while the rest is strapped to a nearby tree. It s used as a playroom for the owner s three children, and as an occasional guest room.
.....