Hyderabad’s Iconic ‘Fish Building’ Swims Into Global Spotlight as One of the World’s Strangest Structures
Hyderabad: January 26, 2026
In a city celebrated for its cutting-edge IT corridors and centuries-old heritage monuments, an unconventional government building has quietly captured international attention. The headquarters of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad has been named among the world’s strangest-looking buildings, placing the city on global lists of architectural curiosities.
Constructed in 2012, the four-storey structure is designed entirely in the shape of a giant fish, complete with a metallic exterior, sweeping fins and two large circular windows that resemble eyes when viewed from a distance. The building is a striking example of mimicry architecture, a design philosophy in which a structure’s form directly reflects its function. In this case, a fisheries body operates from a building that quite literally looks like a fish.
The visual impact of the structure becomes even more dramatic after sunset. Bathed in blue spotlights, the building appears like a massive fish gliding through water, creating a surreal illusion that stands out sharply against Hyderabad’s urban skyline.
While the bold design initially received mixed reactions during its construction, the Fish Building has since evolved into a recognisable city landmark. Today, it attracts tourists and architecture enthusiasts as much as government officials, with passersby frequently stopping to photograph the unusual façade and admire its departure from conventional government office design.
On the global stage, the Hyderabad landmark now finds itself in the company of other famously eccentric buildings, including the basket-shaped former headquarters of an office supplies company in the United States, Poland’s twisted Crooked House, and Florida’s guitar-shaped hotel. Its inclusion among these structures has offered India a rare moment of international recognition for experimental public architecture.
Beyond its visual novelty, the Fish Building symbolises a broader shift in how civic spaces are imagined. It serves as a reminder that government buildings need not be anonymous concrete blocks, but can instead be creative, expressive and capable of capturing public imagination—even in the heart of a fast-growing modern city.