Quirkiest College Campuses

"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness," architect and designer Frank Gehry said. It's no wonder then that some of the most innovative designs are implemented on college campuses, where students learn from the past and grow from new perspectives. As students from all over reconvene for the school year, these campuses offer different points of view, not only through their curricula, but through their unconventional building styles. From a student center shaped like dim sum steamer baskets in Singapore, to a 36-story skyscraper in Russia, to a shipping center imitation in the Netherlands, here are college buildings around the world that present different angles.

- MEGHAN GUNN

05 Supply Chain Style

Shipping and Transport College

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Where better to learn the nuts and bolts of maritime transport and logistics than a college built on a port, designed to emulate a shipping center? The architecture mirrors the curriculum, in which students complete simulations of reallife scenarios to gain hands-on experience in the industry.

01 Spirited Sculpture Park

University of California San Diego

SAN DIEGO

Campus architecture here ranges from sixties-era concrete buildings to bright and airy contemporary ones, but what truly stands out are the otherworldly sculptures. Developed in partnership with The Stuart Foundation, the collection features site-specific pieces like Do Ho Suh's Fallen Star, a crooked cottage that hangs off the ledge of Jacobs Hall, and Niki de Saint Phalle's Sun God, a massive, brightly-colored bird perched atop a tall archway.

02 Painting the Past

National Autonomous University of Mexico

MEXICO CITY

This campus doubles as a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to murals painted by some of the country's most celebrated artists, from Diego Rivera to David Alfaro Siqueiros. The art tells the story of Mexico's history, guiding viewers through curated scenes depicted on the building facades.

03 Discover Like Darwin

Universidad San Francisco de Quito

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, ECUADOR