The 10 Best Buildings To Headquarter Your Comically Evil Empire
Darth Vader has the Death Star. Sauron has Mordor. But what are real world supervillains to do when they need a place to hatch evil plots? Have no fear, Bisnow has you covered. We spent Halloween scouring the globe for the best places to center your comically evil empire.
Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea
The 105-story Ryugyong Hotel towers over Pyongyang, North Korea, casting a big shadow over the cityscape. Don't let the fancy façade fool you, the 4M SF interior remains unfinished. The building's architect, designer and main contractor, Baikdoosan Architects, abandoned the project in 1992. New management took over in 2008, giving the structure its futuristic façade. Just don't try to visit anytime soon.
Messner Mountain Museum, South Tyrol, Italy
If thwarting MI6 is your thing, the Messner Mountain Museum is the place for you. Designed by legendary architect Zaha Hadid, the Corones sits atop the Kronplatz mountain, 7,200 feet above sea level. The 3k SF interior features a permanent exhibit dedicated to the tradition of climbing and the perfect balcony for pushing your nemesis off of after divulging your master plan.
Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi looks like an alien craft vising earth from a galaxy far, far away. The 926k SF structure is home to the world's only Ferrari-branded theme park, featuring six different roller coasters. It's won numerous development awards and is perfect for speed demons, featuring the world's fastest roller coaster; Formula Rossa. It's a heck of a getaway...as long as your nemesis isn't smart enough to wait at the end of the ride.
Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kingdom Centre rises 41 stories over Riyadh, and is crowned by a 56-meter Sky Bridge. Completed in 2002 for a reported $453M, the 2M SF facility structure houses a Four Seasons hotel, a shopping mall and many key government administrative offices. Its towering modern presence over the city below is perfect for demanding the type of respect a comic book villain deserves.
MahaNakhon Tower, Bangkok, Thailand
That's not a glitch in The Matrix you're seeing, or an unfinished building—that's MahaNakhon Tower in Bangkok. The 77-story building was designed by Ole Scheeren. Among the 1.6M SF are 200 Ritz-Carlton residences that are going for as high as $17M. Start concocting your evil get-rich scheme now so you can lock one down.
33 Thomas St, New York, NY
33 Thomas St in the middle of Manhattan is a 550-foot skyscraper that is often described as one of the most secure buildings in America. It was designed to be self-sufficient and protected from nuclear fallout for up to two weeks after a nuclear blast, offering clear advantages to would-be supervillains. The building houses telecommunications infrastructure—keen eyes will recognize the building from its spotlight in the Emmy-winning series Mr. Robot. Designed by John Carl Warnecke, it's a perfect example of the brutalist architectural style.
DC Towers, Vienna, Austria
This building is TARS' older, larger, more evil cousin. Dominique Perrault's dark glass and offset lines give the building a shadowy, stealthy look. Construction has been a nightmare in and of itself. The project was delayed for more than three years due to the financial crisis. Ground was broken in 2010 and the project's interior is still not complete.
The City Of The Capitals, Moscow, Russia
Consiting of two towers—the 76-level Moscow Tower and the 65-level St. Petersburg Tower—the City of the Capitals was completed in 2009 at a cost of $450M. Designed by architect Erick van Egeraat, the stacked block styling these towers have is considered deconstructivism. Depending on your level of OCD, these buildings take on a different kind of evil.
Intempo, Benidorm, Spain
If you're the luxurious type of supervillian, like Goldfinger, consider Intempo in Benidorm, Spain. The 630-foot residential structure was designed by Perez-Guerras Arquitectos, which later abandoned the project after it became entangled in numerous delays. Construction began in 2006 but wasn't completed until 2015.
Hangzhou Civic Center, Hangzhou, China
The only reason this building hasn't been featured in an action movie yet is that it's the government HQ in Hangzhou, China. The buildings and connected circular skybridge form a huddle around the central building with a beautiful garden on the roof that's perfect for strolling in while you ponder the destruction of your foes in the shadow of your empire.
AT&T Building, Nashville, TN
Since it was completed in 2004, the AT&T Building in Nashville has been a lighting rod for critics. Many call the Earl Swensson-designed building the Batman Building for its obvious resemblance to The Dark Knight. More serious nerds note that building's resemblance to Barad-dûr, home to the Lord of the Rings supervillain, Sauron. Whatever mastermind is there, (s)he's enjoying a great view: the 33-story building with 690k SF of usable space is the tallest building in the state.
