World's wildest houses

Teapot Dome House

Zillah, Wash.

U.S. history buffs might recognize this structure: Architect Jack Ainsworth handcrafted the Dome House in 1922 after the Teapot Dome scandal. The scandal involved Interior Secretary Albert Fall, who was imprisoned for accepting bribes from oil companies that wanted access to government-owned oil fields. The cornerless building has a sheet-metal handle and concrete spout. The pot, which housed the pay station of a gas station until 2004, has been moved several times since it was built. Now, the city of Zillah is moving it again, from outside city limits to the town’s center.

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Kvivik Igloo

Faroe Islands, Denmark

This pair of identical igloos is near the village of Kvivik, in the Faroe Islands off the coast of Denmark. Each structure is about 300 square feet and features a kitchen, living room and loft with a double bed. Each igloo goes the extra eco-friendly mile with a lush green roof, and both are surrounded by mountain and ocean views. They're available for vacation rental for 795 Danish kroner (about $150) a night (two-night minimum). Contact GreenGate Incoming Travel for more information.

CORRECTION: World's wildest houses
March 18, 2011: Each of the Kvivik Igloos rents for 795 Danish kroner a day. The article originally included an incorrect rental rate.

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One Log House

Garberville, Calif.

This house is in pretty good condition — considering that the tree it's made from is more than 2,000 years old. Carved out of a 42-ton redwood, this wacky mobile home was "built" in 1946 by logger Art Schmock. He took the log house to fairs and festivals across the country to promote awareness of Northern California’s beautiful giant redwoods, the source of his life's work. The tour was ultimately cut short because of the tree’s massive size, which made it hard to move. The 32-foot-long house boasts six-foot ceilings and a fully functional living space that includes a bedroom, living room and dining area. It's now owned by Dan Baleme, who restored it and opened it to the public in 1999.

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The Treehotel

Harads, Sweden

Built by Bolle Tham and Martin Videgard, the Mirrorcube is part of the Treehotel modern treehouse complex in northern Sweden. The structure is made of lightweight aluminum and plywood, and features a double bed, a small bathroom and a living room. The mirrored exterior reflects its surroundings, allowing it to blend in with the natural environment, and prevents bird collisions with an infrared film.

The Treehotel complex has five treehouse rooms available for rental; two new rooms will be added this year. A tree sauna is also available for guest use. For more information, visit treehotel.se.

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Waldspirale (Wooded Spiral)

Darmstadt, Germany

Built by the famed Austrian architect and painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who was known for the onion-shaped domes and curved lines seen here, this apartment complex was completed in 2000. At its highest point, the winding structure is 12 stories tall. The roof houses a cafe, a bar and a man-made forest garden for residents to enjoy. The building contains 105 apartments and more than 1,000 windows. Some windows feature “tree tenants” — or trees planted indoors that are trained to grow out of the windows — a design element typical of Hundertwasser’s style.

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UFO houses

Taipei County, Taiwan

These UFO-inspired houses, constructed in 1978, were meant to be a part of a resort property. The project lost its funding and was abandoned in 1980, leaving these modern structures as ruins in the landscape. After they stood vacant for years, the government decided to demolish them. Some locals believed the vacant buildings to be haunted, and rumors swirled that demolition crews found bodies inside. Contractors have denied these rumors.

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Lego House

Dorking, England

British television personality James May built this temporary house of Legos in 2009. One thousand volunteers constructed the structure out of more than 3 million Lego building blocks after May promoted the project on his show. The house featured a staircase, toilet and shower — all made entirely of Legos. Landowners demanded the structure be removed and May called for a preservation-minded Lego-lover to take the structure and move it to another location. There were, surprisingly, no takers, and the house was demolished.

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Storybook House

Olalla, Wash.

Richey and Karen Morgan began building their pointy-peaked house the 1980s as an homage to classic fairy tales. Extensive landscaping elements, including a 10-foot, hollowed-out fir-tree fountain, surround the house. The interior features a staircase that wraps around an artificial tree. The house was the star of a documentary titled "Labor of Love," which tells of the renovation.

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Hang Nga Guest House (the Crazy House)

Dalat, Vietnam

The namesake for this hotel, Hang Nga, designed the unusual building and, according to travel websites, is often on hand to chat with guests. Hang Nga — who cites Salvador Dali and Walt Disney as her inspirations — is the daughter of the former president of Vietnam, which may explain how she was able to create such a far-out structure in the communist country. Ten individually designed guest rooms were opened to the public in 1990. The interior features a network of bridges, ladders and passageways that include odd ornamentation, such as spider webs, caged birds and a giant giraffe. A night at the Crazy House ranges from about $30 to $85, depending on when you go.

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Dar Al Hajar

Suq al-Wadi, Yemen

This massive palace was built as a summer home for the king of Yemen in the 1930s. Nothing says summer getaway like a house carved from the surrounding rock cliffs with seven stories and 35 rooms, right? Unfortunately for the king, he never spent much time in the palace because he was assassinated only a few years later. Dar Al Hajar is now owned by the Yemeni government and is a popular tourist attraction.

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Hello Kitty Hotel

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Calling all Hello Kitty fans! The Hello Kitty Hotel, which opened in a Taiwanese resort in 2009, is a tribute to the Japanese anime character that has a cult following all over the world. The pinked-out palace is decorated in head-to-toe Kitty, including details such as Hello Kitty wallpaper and cushions.

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