Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but according to a new survey from the New Jersey Real Estate Network, some of Alabama's public buildings are straining that belief.
A recent ranking of the 100 ugliest public buildings in the U.S. includes five located in Alabama, drawing criticism for their designs, upkeep or simply bizarre aesthetics.
These aren't architectural landmarks or beloved city icons, they're often where residents go for everyday civic tasks like paying bills, renewing licenses, or dealing with legal matters, and a lack of maintenance all adds to a negative public perception.
Five Alabama buildings made the list, and they ranked among the 100 ugliest in the U.S.
Alabama's buildings are known for function over form
According to a recent survey of the 100 ugliest public buildings in America, these five in Alabama made the cut, and not in a good way:
Tuscaloosa County Public Works Building in Tuscaloosa ranked in the top 10, making it one of the highest-ranked eyesores in the country. Coming in at No. 9 on the list, the predominantly brick building has a flat, functional design and is bland and uninspired. The building looks harsh and overly industrial.
The Florence-Lauderdale Government Building landed in the top 20, coming in at No. 19 on the list. The Decatur City Hall Annex followed at No. 60 for its boxy, bland design that fades into the background, not precisely what you'd expect from a city hall.
Meanwhile, the Dothan Civic Center, ranked No. 84, has seen its share of iconic performers over the years. But despite the big names, its 1970s-era architecture hasn't stood the test of time.
The Gadsden Public Library, ranked No. 85, was flagged by the survey for several design missteps, including flat facades, oversized signage and what respondents called an uninspired layout. Like many buildings on the list, it's not necessarily disliked for what it does, but for how it looks while doing it.
What are the ugliest buildings in the U.S.?
Here are the top 10 ugliest public buildings according to the survey:
City of Flint Municipal Center (Flint, Michigan)
Fresno County Superior Court (Fresno, California)
Buffalo City Court (Buffalo, New York)
Jackson County Courts Building (Pascagoula, Mississippi)
Philadelphia Municipal Services Building (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Akron Municipal Court (Akron, Ohio)
Atlantic City Municipal Court (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
Bentonville Public Works Maintenance Facility (Bentonville, Arkansas)
Tuscaloosa County Public Works Building (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
El Paso County Court Administration Building (El Paso, Texas)
How the list was compiled
The rankings come from an online panel survey of over 3,000 people, conducted in July 2025. Responses were balanced by age, gender and geography. Internal population data sources were also used to ensure national representativeness.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Why these buildings in Alabama were ranked the ugliest in the U.S.
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