Parliamentary eyesore

The Beehive has been rated among the world’s ten ugliest buildings, coming in at number three on a list decided by editors and members of the popular online Virtual Tourist travel network. Virtual Tourist’s list is its second annual compendium of ugly structures around the world. The network described the 70s-era building, the Executive Wing of New Zealand’s parliamentary precinct, as: “A slide projector that fell on a wedding cake that fell on a waterwheel.” “Its proximity to the neighboring Edwardian neo-classical Parliament House only accentuates its unattractiveness.” The ugliest building was the Morris A Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. Virtual Tourist general manager Giampiero Ambrosi said the structures were awful. “Many of these buildings don’t have the warmth of an ice cube while others don’t even seem completed,” Ambrosi said. Credit for the design is usually given to Scottish architect Sir Basil Spence, who made a rough sketch in 1964 while dining with Sir Keith Holyoake.