We have seen our share of failed architecture, and while Australia seems to be on the other end of the world, ugly houses are literally everywhere—with people underthinking the role of architects and thinking it is easier to actually design their own houses and go wild! In Melbourne, Australia, someone got fed up and decided to create an Instagram account dedicated to shaming ugly houses.
Dubbed uglymelbournehouses and titled “Frank Lloyd Wrong”, they share random ugly houses around Melbourne and accompany them with funny and shaming captions, turning them into memes (architecture can be funny, too).
“The city has also produced some brilliant home-grown local architects and has a distinctive design culture, without the overreliance on international “starchitects” like Sydney.”
—Nicholas Reece
Although the Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne thinks the is one of the most interesting cities regarding architecture, Nicholas Reece stated that “in recent years Melbourne has allowed too many poor developments to be built. Too many towers that are nothing more than spreadsheets in the sky, delivering a profit for developers but leaving the city poorer because of bad design and low-quality materials.”
“Too many buildings that are low-grade and bland when newly complete and destined to deteriorate into eyesores over time,” Reece continued. And the following ugly houses are actually among these low-grade and bland buildings.
20 Ugly Houses in Melbourne are Being Instagram-Shamed!
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Picasso’s Lovechild
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Barbie’s Dream House
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Those Aren’t Balconies, They’re Actually Hay Feeders For Giraffes
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Caravan Of Courage
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Little Riley’s doing so well in Year 7 Graphics, we’ve let him design our whole house
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Animal Print Is A Neutral
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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So many questions; so few astronauts!
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Mary Poppins’ Lsd Dreamland Winky Wonky Summertime Lovin’ Peculiar Palazzo-A-Palooza
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Intergalactic Evil Mammoth Boxy Square Bonnet Wearing Robot Worm Computer Mansion
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Anyone Got An Id On This LEGO Set?
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
Moreover, Nicholas Reece said the city started noticing its flaws and began drawing a line, saying it must do better. “BHP House on William Street and ICI House in East Melbourne are both over 50 years old. Yet they both still look elegant and modern. They are great examples of how good design holds up and continues to shine over time.”
“Melbourne has long been famous for its beautiful shop fronts, especially along Collins and Bourke streets. We need to extend that experience to other quarters of the city,” Reece explained.
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The Hills Have Eyes
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Your Dreams Are Like The Left Half Of This “Balcony”… Totally Pointless And Likely To Result In Horrific Injury If You Dwell On Them For Too Long
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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I have a dream…
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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I Think They Could’ve Squeezed Another One In
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Every Time I Try To Build A Custom Sims House
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Amy’s Winehouse
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Perfectly Pitched For A Neighbourhood Near You
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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When A Friend Doesn’t Invite You To Their House And You’re Really Quite Relieved About It Actually
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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How’s Everyone’s Week Been? Chaotic? Jumbled? Overly Complicated? Yep. Me Too
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
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Hang On. Wait… What?! Your Therapist And Your Massive Inflatable Santa Supplier Are The Same Person?!
Ugly Houses in Australia – Courtesy of @uglymelbournehouses
Finally, The Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne believes that good design is even more critical now if Melbourne is to retain its reputation as a highly attractive and liveable city as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Reece is also happy that the challenges the city faces aren’t too big to solve. At least not yet.
“Melbourne’s planning processes are quicker and involve far less red tape compared to other big cities. This is an advantage we need to preserve. But we also need to acknowledge that we need to lift the general standard,” he said.
