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All Bulgaria Sofia The Snail House

The Snail House

A flamboyant five-story building in Bulgaria resembles a crawling snail.

Sofia, Bulgaria

Added By
Lew Blank
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Snail House from the front   Maps Data © 2016 Google
Snail House from the front   Maps Data © 2016 Google
Snail from side   Marcian / CC BY-SA 3.0
Snail House swirl of color   Maps Data © 2016 Google
Snail decor   Maps Data © 2016 Google
Snail from back side   Maps Data © 2016 Google
Eye stalks and tentacles   Maps Data © 2016 Google
Snail themed sign   Maps Data © 2016 Google
The Snail House Sofia   vasilisapremudra / Atlas Obscura User
  JIM CEVAPCICI / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The Simeonovo neighborhood in the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria isn’t known as a hotspot for many tourists. Yet, hidden in the hinterland, there lives a gigantic snail whose flamboyant rainbow coloration will stop passersby in their tracks.

Painted in swirls of red, orange, green, blue, and brown, Bulgaria’s Snail House is five stories tall and is said to have “no straight walls, corners, or edges.” Although it may look like a daycare center or a children’s museum, the Snail House is actually a residential area, the location where many eager spouses have begged their less enthusiastic partners to live inside a multicolored slug.

The architect of the Snail House, Simeon Simeonov, has built this rainbow snail abode in anything but a conventional manner. Featuring two tentacles atop its head and curved windows on its side, the snail was ingeniously designed to make all of the building’s appliances appear to be part of its decor.

The Snail House's door, for instance, is painted to be the slug's mouth, requiring residents to be “swallowed alive” before entering. Simeonov also substituted a standard chimney with a big yellow bee on the snail’s back. In addition to conducting smoke, the bee’s horns double as both night lights and lightning arresters.

At the Snail House, even the eyes have a purpose. The house’s air and gas ventilate through the eyelids and exit through the snail’s big red eyes. The radiators at the Snail House are disguised as frogs, ladybugs, and pumpkins.

Perhaps the most symbolic feature of this giant escargot, however, is its symbolic meaning for preserving the planet. The Snail House is constructed entirely with lightweight and eco-friendly material, making it truly energy efficient. 

The next time you pass through the Simeonovo neighborhood, be sure to visit the Snail House, a building so bizarre that you'll have to drive by at a snail’s pace to get a good look at it.

Related Tags

Animals Snails Houses Novelty Architecture Homes

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Added By

lewblank

Edited By

JIM CEVAPCICI, vasilisapremudra

  • JIM CEVAPCICI
  • vasilisapremudra

Published

September 26, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.dogonews.com/2012/9/7/the-snail-house-escargots-not-welcome
  • http://inspired-architecture.blogspot.com/2013/06/snail-house-sofia-bulgaria.html
  • http://www.lostateminor.com/2015/08/31/theres-a-massive-five-storey-snail-house-in-bulgaria-because-why-not/
The Snail House
Boulevard "Simeonovsko Shose 187
Sofia
Bulgaria
42.617346, 23.337017
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Bells Monument

Sofia, Bulgaria

miles away

Museum of Socialist Art

Sofia, Bulgaria

miles away

National Palace of Culture

Sofia, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sofia

Sofia

Bulgaria

Places 11

Nearby Places

The Bells Monument

Sofia, Bulgaria

miles away

Museum of Socialist Art

Sofia, Bulgaria

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National Palace of Culture

Sofia, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sofia

Sofia

Bulgaria

Places 11

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