"Witch House", "Card House", "House of Shadows" — all these are names for one and the same original sight of Odessa — the "Flat House." If you look at it from a certain angle, it really does seem flat. Although the building is actually nothing of the sort. Trying to understand the mystery of this remarkable building, people study it, walk around it, try to peek behind the wall of the house, and let out surprised exclamations. The solution to the mystery of this curious architectural masterpiece once again confirms that Odessa is truly no ordinary city.
This is no Copperfield trick, and no flat people live here. It's all about an optical illusion — the two walls of the house were built at an acute angle.
Inside, this building is no less interesting than on the outside — thanks to the efforts of its residents, antique interiors have been preserved: elegant stucco on the ceilings, marble staircases, wrought-iron railings.
The Flat House gained its popularity by accident — they say no one planned to create anything special. The name of the architect who gave the city this wonder, and the time of its construction, are unfortunately not known for certain.
There are several versions as to why the house became "flat." According to one of them, funds ran out during construction, and in order to save money the architects simply brought the two side walls together so that from above the house came to look like a triangle, and from a certain angle — seem flat.
