Man Builds Incredibly Thin Spite House Just To Block His Brother’s View To The Sea

Previously we’ve shown you some examples of good architecture and bad architecture but this time we got something different for you – the Al Ba’sa house in Beirut, Lebanon. What’s unique about the house is that it’s incredibly skinny and was built completely out of pettiness. The wedge-shaped four-story is the perfect example of a spite house – even its name translates to The Grudge from Arabic! However, unlike the 23 & 24 Leinster Gardens houses, this one is actually inhabited.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

When we say thin, we meany really thin – at its narrowest point, the Al Ba’sa measures at just 2 feet (60 cm)! Of course, its widest point is that wide either, measuring at just 13 ft (4 m).

Image credits: Sage Welte

And just like its unique shape, the house has a unique story behind it. Locals say the house was built all the way back in the 1950s after two brothers got into an argument.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

The brothers had inherited a plot of land from their father and couldn’t decide what to actually build on it. It didn’t help that the land was oddly shaped because a part of it was taken up by various municipal infrastructure projects.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

The brother that got the wedge-shaped part of the land then decided to build the odd narrow building on it.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

“Why even bother?” you may ask – well, that’s where the pettiness part comes in. This house was erected purely for the purpose of blocking his brother’s view of the sea.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

The wedge-shaped house was the only thing that could be seen from the brother’s house, driving the value of the property way down. Talk about dedication just to ruin someone’s view.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

The Grudge has only two apartments, one for each floor, and has served as a brothel for some time before becoming a refugee shelter.

Image credits: Sandra Rishani

Currently, the building is inhabited and will most likely remain intact for a long time, serving as the perfect monument to human stubbornness.