Atomium one of Europe’s strangest buildings

Brussels’ futuristic Atomium has been named one of the most bizarre buildings in Europe by CNN, alongside the likes of Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum, the Eden Project in Cornwall and the Banknote building in Kaunas, Lithuania. “As one of the only remaining symbols of the 1958 Brussels World Fair, this extraordinary structure, conceptualised by late engineer André Waterkeyn, represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times,” writes Jessica Benavides Canepa. “It features nine spheres interconnected by 20 tubes. While three spheres contain either permanent or temporary exhibitions from around the world, it’s the highest, at 92m, that offers a spectacular panoramic view of the city. Capturing visitors’ imagination with its progressive vision of the future, the Atomium receives an average of 600,000 visitors each year.”