Upside Down Houses on a roll

The Upside Down House on Brighton Beach stands out as a unique tourist attraction, thoughtfully designed and built as a temporary experience for visitors. This quirky structure was the brainchild of Tom Dirse, CEO of Upside Down House UK Ltd, who first introduced the concept in Bournemouth in 2018. Since then, the idea has expanded to six locations in the UK (with four more managed by a partner company). Indeed, the concept seems to be on a roll worldwide with topsy-turvy houses opening from the US to Thailand, Estonia to South Africa.

Brighton’s Upside Down House opened its doors in May 2019, perfectly positioned on the seafront between the i360 and the bandstand. Its vibrant turquoise exterior complements the iconic colours of the city’s coastline, making it a striking feature along the promenade. Inside, it features a variety of themed rooms - including a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, music room, and vault room - all with furniture and décor attached to the ‘ceiling’ for surreal photographic opportunities. The interior design is said to draw on Brighton’s diverse cultural, music, and arts scene, with elements such as a bespoke gaming area, a jukebox, a vintage bicycle, and a replica Mona Lisa.

The attraction appears to be part of a global trend of topsy-turvy constructions, with similar installations found across Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond, often as standalone tourist sites or within amusement parks and museums. Apart from at least ten in the UK there are certainly 20 more well-known ones worldwide (though the actual number is likely to be higher).

My own (un-modified) upside down photograph of Brighton’s Upside Down House inspired me to collage together a few photos found online of other similar attractions. I’ve modified those pictures by rotating them through 180 degrees, and then slightly cropping/straightening the results. Locations:  Orlando, USA (top right), Broederstroom, South Africa (bottom right), Szymbark, Poland (top left), Tartu, Estonia (bottom left). Incidentally, the original Upside Down House concept is credited to the one at Szymbark which opened in 2007 as a tourist attraction and a social commentary on the communist era.