What’s more wondrous than towering spires on a building? Stained glass? Vaulted windows, or garden roofs? One word: Ghouls. Nothing jazzes up a normal old cathedral or mansion more than a mischievous face etched in stone, smiling (or, more likely, grimacing) at those passing below. Gargoyles and grotesques, in their own endearingly ugly way, are one of the best ways for architects to let their creations stand apart from the pack and inspire reflection for centuries to come.
While most of these creatures are made in a similar style, with recognizable bodily features, expressions, and poses, there are a handful around the globe that are unapologetically unique: sometimes familiar, sometimes offbeat, and always worth a closer look.
A Note on Gargoyles vs. Grotesques
Both are ornate stone figures carved into buildings; however, gargoyles also double as waterspouts to drain rainwater off a building, whereas grotesques are purely decorative.
1. Darth Vader Grotesque – Washington, D.C.
D.C.’s National Cathedral is the largest in the U.S. and the sixth largest in the world, but it has another, less obvious claim to fame: a small carving of Darth Vader among its spires. When the cathedral underwent constuction in the 1980s, it held a contest for schoolchildren to submit designs, and this infamous villain took third place, earning it a spot on the exterior. For the best view of the Dark Lord, grab your binoculars and head to the northwest parking lot. Near the top of the northwest tower, Vader is just above a large skull.
2. House with Chimaeras – Kyiv, Ukraine
Polish-Ukrainian architect Vladislav Gorodetsky, “the Gaudí, of Ukraine,” intended for this animal-themed building to be his permanent residence; however, he was forced to vacate it when his pocketbook ran dry. The house, located in Kyiv’s historic Lypky neighborhood, is right across the street from the Ukrainian president’s office and has been used for diplomatic ceremonies since 2005. Its gargoyles and grotesques were inspired by Gorodetsky’s love of hunting, and inside is even filled with stuffed versions of many of these same animals.
3. Plein Rond de Eik – Amersfoort, Netherlands
Architect Changiz Tehrani designed this mixed-use structure with 22 different WhatsApp emoji faces that stare out at passersby, including fan favorites like the smile, the wink, the heart eyes, the kissy face, and the winking face with tongue out. Tehrani drew inspiration from an Amsterdam building called “The House with the Heads,” which depicts the faces of six Greek gods.
4. The Policeman Grotesque – Carlisle, England
An officer who died in the line of duty is memorialized on the south-facing outer wall of Carlisle Cathedral, surprisingly inconspicuous beside the medieval gargoyles and grotesques. Police Constable George Russell’s stone likeness wears a helmet and star badge, marking his life’s dedication to service and safety. Russell is buried in Carlisle and also honored by a plaque at the Oxenholme Lake District railway station.
5. The Bull of Santa Maria del Fiore – Florence, Italy
Among the Duomo’s many easy-to-miss intricacies is this stone bull’s head facing Via Ricasoli and right over the Porta della mandorla, the door that allows one up into the grand dome. There are two explanations for the bull’s origin: One holds that it was the builders’ tribute to the draft animals used to construct the cathedral. The other (far more fun) theory is that a stonemason designed the bull to look straight into the shop of his girlfriend’s husband, a daily reminder that it was the stonemason she truly loved.
6. The Vampire Rabbit of Newcastle – Newcastle upon Tyne, England
For over a century, this deformed rabbit has sat at the back of St. Nicholas Cathedral, but no one can say why or how it came to be. Some say it represents the coming of spring (à la the Easter Bunny), whereas others insist it was built to scare away grave robbers. Still others believe the creature was intended to be a normal rabbit but, unfortunately, its ears were accidentally put on backward.
7. ‘Alien’ Gargoyle – Paisley, Scotland
When Paisley Abbey underwent renovations in 1993, 13 of its gargoyles were removed and replaced with updated versions, though one of the stonemasons on the job took some major creative liberties. His contribution to the facade looks strikingly like H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph from the “Alien” franchise, though it’s never been confirmed whether this was his exact intention or a happy coincidence.
8. Park Grove Manor – Oak Park, Illinois
E.E. Roberts designed a number of homes in this sleepy Chicago suburb, working in styles that ranged from Victorian to Tudor to Prairie. Perhaps his most fanciful building, Park Grove Manor is adorned with playful, chubby-faced gargoyles and grotesques. Above the service entrances to the building are sculptures depicting an architect and a bricklayer, both of them amusingly cartoonish. This may have been Roberts becoming less self-serious in his older age, joyfully deriding the pretensions of modern architecture.
