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10 wildest roofs of 2016

These designs are real head-turners

By Jenny Xie
zig-zag roofline of a new Austin taco joint
The striking new Torchy’s taco joint in Austin, TX
Photo by Patrick Wong via Dezeen

Just as bangs, curls, or a nice man bun can dramatically change a person’s look, bold gestures atop a building can also make a heck of a statement. Indeed, 2016 has been a good year for daring roofs, covering private and public spaces alike with everything from ceramic tiles to reed to all the greenery you can imagine. Below, take a global tour of some of the most striking building-toppers of the year.

Did we miss a rad roof? Please share in the comments.

Austin’s new Torchy’s Tacos flagship features a zigzaggy statement roofline propped up by bright red criss-crossing metal columns.
Photo by Patrick Wong via Dezeen
Inspired by the principle of universal energy, this minimalist concrete home in South Korea offers dramatic sunken rooftop terraces with breathtaking views.
Photo by Sergio Pirrone via Designboom
If hobbit homes were conceived as apartment complexes, they’d look like this new project completed in Takamatsu, Japan, which piles five residences one over another like a wave of green tea roll cakes.
Photo via Designboom
Over a decade in the making, Hamburg’s $870 million Elbe Concert Hall finally wrapped this year, complete with its sharply wavy roofline.
Photo via Flickr
The camouflaging ceramic tile screen wrapping around this Barcelona house serves several functions at once: facade, pergola, curtain walls, and roof.
Photo by Pedro Pegenaute via Dezeen
To honor vernacular architecture, Kengo Kuma covered this 53,500-square-foot new folk art museum in Hangzhou, China in tiles, a traditional roofing material, making for a stunning sight.
Photo by Eiichi Kano via ArchDaily
This stunning modern home in the Brazilian rainforest has a heck of a roof, complete with greenery, pool, and fire pit.
Photo by Fernando Guerra via Architizer
This modern house in Jakarta, Indonesia would be very normal if it were positioned normally—i.e. flat on the ground. But no, it’s built on a steel frame tilting at a 70-degree angle toward the street, so it’s definitely a daredevil.
Photo by Fernando Gomulya via Designboom
How dreamy is this Vietnam home’s stepped rooftop garden brimming with all sorts of flowers, trees, and shrubbery?
Photo by Hiroyuki Oki via Designboom
Who knew thatched roofs could look so sleek and cool? This inventive seaside holiday home in Latvia certainly proves it.
Photo by Juozas Kamenskas via Dezeen

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