CuriositiesAUG 10, 2026

75 Buildings That Changed Their Purpose But Not Their Appearance, And The Results Are Hilarious

Mindaugas Balčiauskas and Oleksandra Kyryliuk

Most buildings are built to last, often for decades and sometimes even centuries. But the people living in them or the businesses operating there don’t always stick around that long. So over time, plenty of places get repurposed and end up taking on a completely different role than they were originally designed for.

This can lead to some pretty unexpected and often hilarious transformations. A former bank might become a McDonald’s, while an old bowling alley could end up as a thrift store. We’ve rounded up some of the best examples below. Scroll down to check them out.

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#21 Former Bank, Now KFC. Owners Call It The Crystal Bucket. (Corning, NY Area)

A modern, round KFC building pretending to be a classic Colonel Sanders bucket.

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16points

The changes can also be much bigger than simply renovating the inside of a building. In New York City, for example, the High Line was once an elevated railway before it was transformed into a public park.

Denmark’s Jægersborg Water Tower also found a completely new use when it was converted into student housing and a youth center. Both projects show just how different a place can become while still keeping part of its original identity.

#22 Little Caesar's Pizza In A Former Sonic Drive-In; Location Unknown

A Little Caesars pizza restaurant, a building pretending to be a drive-through with outdoor picnic tables.

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14points

#23 A Bank Converted To Mcdonalds

An old McDonald's restaurant at dusk, a building that is pretending to be something it is not.

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13points

#24 This Sports Bar Used To Be A Hollywood Video Store. They Reused Parts Of The Original Sign

A building pretending to be Big Woody's Sports Bar & Grill with a large sign.

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13points

So while some of the transformations in this collection may look unusual or even funny, there is often a very sensible reason behind them. Repurposing an existing building can save resources and preserve some of its history.

On top of that, it can give the structure a whole new life. Sometimes changing what a building is used for is exactly what allows it to stay useful for years to come.