A Look at One of the Most Unusual Neighborhoods on Earth

Located in the town of Den Bosch in The Netherlands, Bolwoningen is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood created in 1984. Consisting of 50 spherical concrete homes, grouped together, the highly unique forms connected by winding paths, fully intact and inhabited 40 years later.

Artist and sculptor Dries Kreijkamp made the homes with a grant from the government, exploring experimental housing. We’d say this qualifies, as the neighborhood looks like it landed from outer space.

Architectural Digest explores the neighborhood, and talks about how the structures came to be:

“But it wasn’t the novelty structure that convinced the Dutch government to support the project as part of its foray into experimental housing solutions from 1968 into the 1980s.

Rather, the simple, sustainable nature of the lightweight, prefabricated homes meant they could be erected in as little as one day. By 1984, a mini-neighborhood of Kreijkamp’s Bolwingen had sprung up, standing out in stark contrast from the more traditional residences just across the street.”

The spherical homes let in a surprising amount of light, and fit two people, but not much more. The small size and somewhat cramped interiors may be why this type of experimental housing didn’t take off.

Nevertheless, the homes are fascinating and a living time capsule that stands as a Dutch landmark.

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