Is the United States known for its ornate or stunning architecture? Not always. In some cases, its buildings are practical, as opposed to pretty.
Not all architecture, however, is in the same class, in fact some of it could be considered just plain “ugly.”
More than 3,000 people were asked to vote on the 100 ugliest public buildings in the U.S. in a new list put out by the New Jersey Real Estate Network. Two Indiana cities have buildings that made the cut.
Here’s what to know.
‘Ugliest buildings’ in America includes South Bend’s St. Joseph County-City Building
The County-City Building Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at Jefferson Street and Lafayette Boulevard in downtown South Bend.
At spot No. 63, the St. Joseph County-City Building, located in South Bend, made the ugliest public buildings list.
The 14-story St. Joseph County-City Building was built in 1967 to replace the City Hall that would be demolished in 1970.
The South Bend Tribune reported in July 2025 that county officials are considering selling the building and relocating the services currently housed there due to costly repairs and upgrades.
From South Bend: Five things to know about County-City Building as officials decide what to do with it.
Evansville Civic Center Complex makes list of America’s ‘ugliest’ buildings
The Evansville Civic Center Complex seen from the SE 9th street side in Evansville, Indiana.
The Evansville Civic Center Complex took spot No. 76 on the ugliest public building list.
The Civic Center Complex opened in 1969 and was originally home to city and county government officials, agencies, courts, school administration and a jail, according to previous reporting from the Courier & Press.
The complex was completed after six years of planning and cost $27 million (estimated to be over $237 million in currency today).
What are the ugliest buildings in the U.S.?
According to the survey, the top five ugliest buildings in the U.S. are:
To view all the public buildings that made the list, visit newjerseyrealestatenetwork.com.
Katie Wiseman covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Bluesky @katiewiseman
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana included on list of ‘ugliest’ buildings in the United States
