When constructing a building that is expected to last a long time, getting it to stand straight up and down is pretty important. But apparently it’s not always crucial to making the building last. The most famous example is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it’s not the only one. And even if the building was originally straight, things happen.
Built in 1765, the Crooked House was first a farmhouse. The area was used for mining in the 1800s, and eventually, it caused one end of the structure to gradually sink. There is a four foot difference from side to side on the building now.
Eventually, it became a public house called Siden House. The word “siden” means crooked in the Black Country local dialect. At one time it was also named the Glynne Arms in honor of the area landowner. In the 1940s it was condemned as being unsafe. It was scheduled to be demolished, but the Dudley and Wolverhampton Breweries rebuilt it with girders and buttresses to retain its crooked angles, while making it safe for use. It is currently a pub and restaurant which contributes to optical illusions due to the tilted walls. It is possible to see marbles looking as if they are rolling uphill, and glasses appearing to slide across tables.
There are also buildings that were intentionally designed to be crooked. Read the stories of ten crooked buildings at Housely.