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As many of you know, last year's list of the "World's Ugliest Buildings" not only made the front page of Yahoo.com, but caused quite the controversy in Boston where some took issue with our choice of Boston City Hall as the world's ugliest building.

As comprehensive as the list was, there are still dozens of buildings out there that make us want to avert our eyes when we walk by, so with that in mind, we've compiled our 2nd Annual List of The World's Ugliest Buildings! Enjoy!

From the merely unpleasant to the borderline criminal, ugly buildings can be found in even the most beautiful of cities and with this in mind, VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com ) has announced its “2nd Annual List of the World’s Top 10 Ugly Buildings*,” decided by its members and editors. VirtualTourist.com general manager, Giampiero Ambrosi discusses the list’s significance: “Perhaps the best and worst thing about travel is the unexpected and it’s safe to say a lot of these choices fall under that category. Many of these buildings don’t have the warmth of an ice cube, while others have just make you wish the architect had never been born. Either way, they make for very interesting conversation.”

1) Morris A. Mechanic Theater; Baltimore, Maryland

Looking at the grim, impersonal façade of this once-thriving theater, it’s hard to believe this stage once hosted the likes of Katherine Hepburn and George C. Scott. Its doors now closed, it still incites debate among locals, many of whom feel the final curtain should have come down on this building long ago.

2) Zizkov TV Tower; Prague, Czech Republic


While its ugliness could easily stand on its own, the installation of small, climbing babies by the artist David Èerný transformed this tower from an eyesore to a head-shaker. Originally meant to be temporary, the popular infant sculptures became permanent in 2001.

3) Parliament Building; Wellington, New Zealand

A slide projector that fell on a wedding cake that fell on a waterwheel is a kind description of this building known as “The Beehive.” Finished in the late 1970s, its proximity to the neighboring 1907 Parliament House only accentuates its unattractiveness.

4) Centre Pompidou; Paris, France

When looking at the primary color-coded ducts and cables constructed on the outside of this world-famous museum, one quickly sees why these elements are usually hidden. The result of a world-wide competition, this design makes one afraid to fathom what the losing sketches looked like.

5) Federation Square; Melbourne, Australia

Billed as “Melbourne’s Meeting Place,” we’re guessing that this is where city residents meet…to go somewhere else. Frenzied and overly complicated, the chaotic feel of the complex is made worse by a web of unsightly wires from which overhead lights dangle.

6) Petrobras Headquarters; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A cross between a penitentiary and an unfinished Lego creation, this dreary, block-like structure occupies a regrettably prominent place in the city center. To make matters worse, the building’s randomly placed window slats give the illusion that the building is actually

7) Markel Building; Richmond, Virginia

Although it sounds like urban legend, this futuristic building was in fact inspired by a baked potato served to the architect during a dinner for the American Institute of Architects. If only he’d been served fries instead.

8) Royal Ontario Art Museum; Toronto, Canada

What I.M. Pei’s pyramid is to the Louvre, so is the relatively new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal wing to the Royal Ontario Art Museum. While many praise the glass structure, just as many are troubled by the incongruity to the original, more traditional museum that still sits directly beside it.

9) National Library; Pristina, Republic of Serbia

It’s hard to know whether the teeth-softening honeycomb-pattern mesh that coats the outside of this library enhances or worsens this bizarre structure. It’s been said that when the building first opened, many thought the giant net was scaffolding.

10) Ryugyong Hotel; Pyongyang, North Korea

Riddled with issues that range from lack of money to poor construction to rumored collapse, this still unfinished nightmare has been under some form of construction for over 20 years. Started in 1987, construction was halted in 1992 and left untouched until just recently.