The 10 Buildings With the Best Nicknames

Walkie Talkie Building, LondonIt is pretty apparent why this building got the nickname Walkie Talkie Building. It looks just like a walkie talkie!

The Marilyn Monroe TowersThe Marilyn Monroe Towers, also known as Absolute World, are residential condominium twin towers located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The towers were given the nickname after the 50s-era icon because of their curvy, hourglass facades. The designer of the towers, Yansong Ma, won the international

design competition that was held in the City of Mississauga.

The Cheesegrater, LondonThe Cheesegrater, also known as Leadenhall Building, is located at 122 Leadenhall Street in London. It is obvious why the building received

the nickname, The Cheesegrater, because of its distinctive wedge shape.

The Batman Building, NashvilleThe tallest building in Tennessee is this 33-story skyscraper dubbed The Batman Building. Built in 1994, the building also known as the AT&T

Building was named one of the 12 most original office buildings in the world. What makes it even more popular today? The state of Tennessee recently incorporated the building into the design of the state driver’s licenses.

The Big Pants Building, BeijingThis 44-story building is the headquarters of China Central Television and rocked the city as it was being built. Everyone was on edge with

excitement watching as the towers were slowly built to be one standing building. Dubbed The Big Pants Building because, well, it looks like a big pair of pants!

Legoland, LondonWe aren’t referring to the kids play world, Legoland. This is the home of the British Secret Intelligence Service, or sometimes called MI6. Located on the bank of the Thames River, this has been the headquarters of the British SIS since 1994. It is rumored that the building has a tunnel that goes from the building to

Whitehall. There are so many levels to the building creating 60 different roof areas. The windows are triple glazed for security purposes and don’t forget about the moats! The building has two of them for protection.

Mini Me, AtlantaThis building is a near replica of the 50-story building next door. The building gets its nickname from the Austin Powers duos Dr. Evil and his

tiny clone, Mini Me. In 2013, the building was sold to Crocker Partners, a real estate investment and management firm.

The Gherkin, LondonThis building is one of London’s most recognized pieces of architecture. The building is primarily occupied by Swiss Re, a global insurance company.

Sometimes the building is referred to as the Swiss Re Building but it has never been an official name and now that the Swiss Re company has made their main headquarters in Zurich. Since it’s completion in 2004, the architect has won multiple awards for the architectural design. In 2006, the building was

sold for $630 million to IVG Immobilien AG and UK investment firm Evans Randall. That sale made this Britain’s most expensive office building.

The Lipstick Building, NYCThe Lipstick Building, also known as 53rd at Third, is a 34-floor skyscraper that was built in 1986 and designed by John Burgee Architects with

Philip Johnson. The building is nicknamed after a tube a lipstick due to its shape and color resembling that of a tube of lipstick.

The Sponge, BostonThe Sponge, or Simmons Hall as it is officially called, is an MIT dormitory that houses 340 undergraduates, 10 graduate students, and 2 MIT

professors and their families. These two professors serve as the House Masters overseeing all of the 350 students living at Simmons Hall. And, let’s not forget the 5,538 windows. Who cleans those anyhow? At 10 stories tall and 382’ long, this 195,000 square foot sponge-like

building has more than just it’s strangely unique architecture. A two-story movie theater, a giant ball pit, and dozens of lounges throughout the building, this dormitory keeps its students lives vibrant and exciting at all times!