18 stunning and frightening houses

To be scary, a house doesn't have to be haunted. Sometimes the very location and architecture of the house, and not at all supernatural, make the building frightening. The houses collected in this issue from all over the world are on the verge of gravity and balance, and at the same time are stunning examples of impressive architecture. Would you live in a house like this?

Cliff house, Calpe, Spain.

Reinforced concrete slabs help this dwelling, located at an angle, to be held in the rocks that surround it from all sides. Covered with limestone plaster, this private house overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

Tree house, France.

This unusual structure on a tree is located next to Lake Geneva in France. To get into it, you need to climb a steep spiral staircase with a height of 39 m, which surrounds a huge Austrian pine tree. As a reward for these physical activities, you will see stunning views.

Holman House, Australia.

The designers of this building were looking for inspiration in the paintings of Pablo Picasso, although it looks more like Salvador Dali, isn't it?

Balancing Barn, Suffolk.

The brave child in the photo is swinging under a very unusual house in the English countryside. Its light-reflecting walls and eye-catching design should make people rethink the idea of both modern architecture and quaint rural life.

Right in the middle of the border between the USA and Canada, on the St. Lawrence River, this tiny island was able to accommodate only one tiny house.

Mirror cube, Sweden.

Because of the mirrored walls, this hotel is almost impossible to find. A 12-meter-long suspension bridge leads to the entrance.

UFO, Sweden.

This hotel in the forests of Harads, Sweden, is owned by the same people as the mirror hotel above. This is a more classic approach to sci-fi aesthetics. A great honeymoon destination for Mulder and Scully, isn't it?

HemLoft, Canada.

Among the hemlock trees in Whistler, Canada, you can find such an "orbital" house in the branches. Actually, it's not really legal.

Stahl House, Hollywood Hills.

Buck Stahl bought land overlooking Los Angeles in the late 1950s. He dreamed of building a house made of glass, from which the best panoramic view of the city would open. Architect Pierre Koenig brought this dream to life.

Meteora Monasteries, Greece.

These buildings, erected in the 11th century on top of sandstone towers, were intended for monks. Some of the monasteries are still in use today.

Castelfolit de la Roca, Catalonia.

About 1,000 residents call this basalt rock in Catalonia home. The area of the town is slightly less than 1 sq. km, it is located between the rivers Fluvia and Toronell and was built in the Middle Ages.

Fallen Star, San Diego.

Students at the University of California San Diego can see this dangerously hanging from the edge of the house every day. Technically, it is a sculpture, as well as a fully equipped and cute courtyard on the roof.

Inverted house, Poland.

This house doesn't need a great height to seem dangerous. It was built by a Polish businessman and philanthropist named Danil Chapiewski in the small town of Szymbark.

Takasugi-an Tea House, Japan.

No, this is not a photo from the filming of the Dr. Seuss cartoon. This fully functioning and tiny teahouse was designed by Terunobu Fujimori on top of two chestnut trees.

Hanging houses, Spain.

These houses with balconies hanging over the cliff on the Uekar River were built more than 500 years ago.

River house, Serbia.

In 1968, a group of young people decided to build their clubhouse on this island in the Drina River. Apparently, the guys were excellent carpenters, because this house is still standing, and now its owner is a kayak rental club.

The house over the waterfall, Pennsylvania.

Created by Frank Lloyd Wright, this house was built into a cliff wall directly above several magnificent waterfalls. But not only has the house captured nature, nature also penetrates into the house — there are natural boulders and stones in the house that fit perfectly into the interior.

And suddenly your two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts no longer seems so unpretentious ... or would you still like to live in one of these houses?