Kuggen by Mats Kristoffersen licensed under the terms of CC BY 3.0
Completed in 2011, Kuggen (Swedish for “the Cogwheel”) was designed for the Chalmers Institute of Technology by famous architect Gert Wingårdh. It connects to neighboring buildings via two second-floor walkways.
This weird structure does indeed look like a giant cogwheel—or perhaps a jagged red tornado. Each of its five floors is slightly wider than the last, and the exterior is clad in in red, orange and green panels along with triangular windows. It even has a moving sun screen (at left in the picture) that keeps the upper floors shaded.
Not only is this building strange, it’s also environmentally friendly. Its circular shape is great for low energy usage, the facade uses ceramic panels due to their longevity, and its ventilation and lighting adapt according to what the situation demands. Impressive on many levels!
