As silly as it might be, novelty architecture is something that we can’t seem to get enough of around here. We’ve previously looked at buildings designed to look like other things (care to live in a giant conch shell, anyone?), as well as crazy structures shaped like fruit (a roundup surprisingly dominated by oranges and tomatoes). But a post over on MetaFilter got us thinking about the zoological forms that buildings occasionally take on. From the most adorable kitty-shaped kindergarten that you’ve ever seen to a fisheries office in India that was designed to resemble a big, happy fish, click through to check out some of the world’s best animal-inspired buildings, and just try not to a crack a smile.
Kindergarten Wolfartsweier – Karlsruhe, Germany
Photo credit: Milk Magazine via Apartment Therapy
“The Big Chicken” KFC restaurant – Marietta, Georgia
Photo credit: Village of Joy
The Big Duck – Flanders, New York
Photo credit: mydailyboost
Lucy the Elephant – Margate, New Jersey
Photo credit: New Jersey Monthly
The Toad Inn – Santa Monica Canyon, California
Photo credit: Shorpy Historical Photo Archive via MetaFilter
Frank’s Hog Stand – San Antonio, Texas
Photo credit: The Curmudgeon-About-Town
The Dog and Sheep Buildings – Tirau, Waikato, New Zealand
Photo credit: Phillip Capper via Wikipedia
The Turtle – Niagara Falls, New York
Photo credit: Jewishfan
National Fisheries Development Board Regional Office Building – Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India
Photo credit: BBC