Headington Shark, United Kingdom

In Oxford on New High Street street is a very remarkable house № 2, whose roof is decorated with the sculpture 'Headington Hai'. The huge shark model literally 'penetrated' into the roof of the old building symbolizes anger and despair. The monument was opened in 1986 and was devoted to the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

At the time of the opening, the house belonged to a well-known radio moderator Bill Heine, who gave the monument an official name, 'Untitled 1986'. The glass fiber served as the main material for monument building. The length of the sculpture is about 7.5 meters; The shark weighs about 200 kg. The monument was designed by the local sculptor John Buckley. His best friend, the carpenter Anthony Kastiau, helped him to carve out the original sculpture from the fiberglass. With the years, the monument and the building are greatly decayed. After the complete reconstruction in 2007, however, they look just as excellent as at the opening.

Since its inception, the unusual monument has sparked many contradictions. The residents of the neighbors turned to the municipal authorities several times and asked to get rid of the shark because it spoils the landscape and is dangerous to safety. The inspectors who came to visit the monument in 1992 have confirmed that 'the Headington Hai' does not harmonize with the surrounding landscape. But the monument was not broken off. Today it is one of Oxford's most unusual and famous landmarks. Next - Crocodile and Capitalist Monument