See inside construction of Signia Hotel in Downtown Indianapolis
IndyStar got an inside look at the work in progress on the newest hotel that is rising above the Indy skyline.
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
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.
Evansville Civic Center Complex makes list of America’s ‘ugliest’ buildings
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:
- City of Flint Municipal Center located in Flint, Michigan
- Fresno County Superior Court, located in Fresno, California
- Buffalo City Court, located in Buffalo, New York
- Jackson County Courts Building, located in Pascagoula, Mississippi
- Philadelphia Municipal Services Building, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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