The most grandiose construction sites in the world. The most grandiose buildings in the world

Every year, engineers and architects develop ambitious projects that are designed to make people's lives better. Enormous funds are being invested in the construction of tunnels, bridges, power plants, artificial islands. The most impressive engineering structures most eloquently speak of the level of development of our civilization.

1. Large Hadron Collider

The LHC or the Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest colliding-beam annular particle accelerator. In it, protons or heavy ions, such as lead, can be accelerated to near-light speeds, and then there is a long analytical work to study the results of their collisions.
The collider is located at the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva and the French-Swiss border. This is the largest and most powerful research facility on the planet. More than 10,000 engineers and researchers from more than 100 states took part in its construction and subsequent operation. The dimensions of the collider are impressive. The main ring of the accelerator has a length of almost 27 kilometers. The word "hadron" refers to a type of accelerated particle - those made up of quarks. Two beams of these particles accelerated to enormous speeds and in the opposite direction collide in places where gigantic and very sensitive detectors are installed.

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2. International Space Station

The ISS is an orbital manned station that serves as a multifunctional research space complex. The ISS is an international project involving 15 countries, including the USA, Russia, France, Japan, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway. The station is controlled from two MCCs: the Russian segment - from Korolev, and the American - from Houston. Both centers actively exchange information every day.

3. Palm Deira - artificial islands in Dubai

This archipelago of artificial islands was called the Palm Islands. They are located in the emirate of Dubai, which is part of the United Arab Emirates. These islands are called an architectural and engineering marvel. In just three years, 3 new islands have appeared here: Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Jumeirah and Palm Deira. Their basis on the seabed was 85 million cubic meters of sand poured there. It is said that they could be seen without a telescope, even from the Moon. Between the large islands there are smaller bulk archipelagos - the "Universe" and the "World".

4. Three Gorges Dam, China

In China, on the third longest river in the world, the Yangtze, the world's largest hydroelectric power station was built, which was called the "Three Gorges". It is located near Sandouping City, Hubei Province, Yichang City District. It is the first in the world in terms of installed capacity, and its heavy-duty concrete gravity dam is also one of the most ambitious in the world. Authorities had to relocate 1.3 million local residents before filling the reservoir.

5. Five-star hotel JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

The high-rise hotel complex Marriott Marquis, located in the same emirate of Dubai, is currently one of the highest in the world. It occupies two buildings, each of which is 355 meters high.
The company that owns this hotel initially planned to build only one 77-story tower, and its construction was supposed to be completed in 2008. But then cardinal changes were made to the original project, and only in 2006 a new version of it was approved. Instead of one tower with a height of 395 meters, two towers appeared, but a little lower - 355 meters each.
The opening of the hotel took place when a delegation of the International Exhibition Bureau came to Dubai due to the fact that the UAE received an application to host the World Expo in Dubai in 2020. The project cost about $432 million to complete. This giant hotel has 1608 rooms, and its infrastructure includes: 15 restaurants, conference rooms, a business center, meeting rooms, a shopping complex and a spa center. On the seventh floor of one of the towers there is a 32-meter swimming pool with all necessary equipment.

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6. The world's longest suspension bridge Akashi-Kaikyo, Japan

This grandiose suspension bridge is thrown across the Akashi Strait, connecting the city of Kobe located on the island of Honshu with the city of the same name located on the island of Awaji. It became the third highway that connects Shikoku and Honshu.
This is the longest suspension bridge on the planet - its total length is 3911 meters, while 1991 meters fall on the central span, and 960 meters on the side spans. The pylons of the bridge soared to a height of 298 meters. Interestingly, according to the project, the length of the main span was supposed to be exactly 1990 meters, but after a strong earthquake in Kobe in 1995, the ocean floor shifted and slightly increased the length of the bridge. The bridge design uses double-jointed stiffening beams, necessary for the bridge to be able to withstand wind gusts of up to 80 meters per second, withstand strong currents or earthquakes up to 8.5 points. To reduce the loads acting on the bridge, its design uses a system of pendulums that can oscillate in resonance with the bridge structure.

7. The world's largest cruise ship Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean has acquired the largest and most luxurious cruise ship in the world, Oasis of the Seas, which cost it $1.24 billion. This 16-deck giant is 1,180 feet long and has 2,700 cabins that can comfortably accommodate 5,400 passengers. At their service is not only the sea overboard - the central park, magnificent bars and restaurants, the Vintages wine cellar, there are even areas specially designated for picnics. Balcony rooms are arranged in the central park, made in the likeness of New York, for travelers - luxurious places where you can arrange meetings at any time of the day or night. In addition to this, there are 6 more sections on the liner.

Aqueducts are designed to transport water through canals raised on supports over valleys, rivers, highways and railways and other obstacles.

8. Eurotunnel under the English Channel

"Eurotunnel" - the so-called double-track railway tunnel, punched under the English Channel, which separates the island of Great Britain from continental Europe. Its total length is 51 kilometers, of which 39 pass directly under the strait. After the construction of the Eurotunnel and its grand opening on May 6, 1994, you can get from Paris to London in just 2 and a quarter hours by high-speed train. At the same time, the train stays in the tunnel for only 20-35 minutes.

9. Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The twin towers of this skyscraper have 88 floors and a height of 451.9 m. They are the decoration of the capital of Malaysia. The Prime Minister of this country Mahathir Mohamad proposed to build a skyscraper in the Islamic style. Therefore, from above, the towers look like eight-pointed stars, and the architect added semicircular ledges only for the stability of the structure.
The towers were built from 1992 to 1998, and to increase the speed of construction and create competition, the contractors were two different construction companies. During geological exploration before construction, it was discovered that part of the complex would stand on the edge of a solid rock, but the other part - on softer limestone. After the appearance of heavy towers on such a heterogeneous base, one that would have hit the limestone would certainly have sagged. Therefore, it was decided to move the entire site to soft ground 60 m from the original mark, but the foundation piles had to be deepened by more than 100 m. The result was the largest concrete foundation in the world.
The Petronas building has not only grandiose dimensions, but also a complex structure. The total area of ​​its premises is 213,750 square meters. m (48 football fields), and the area occupied by the complex of buildings is 40 hectares. In addition to offices, the Petronas Towers have meeting rooms and an art gallery.

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10 Falkirk Wheel

British engineers were able to connect the Union and Fort Clyde canals intersecting at different heights using a unique design - the Falkirk wheel, which became the world's first rotating ship lift. It took 1200 tons of steel, and the height of the structure is 45 m. The wheel is driven by hydraulic motors, with its help, in just an hour, a small vessel can move from one channel to another.

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There are many amazing natural wonders in the world, such as Mount Everest, the Great Barrier Reef, Victoria Falls and many others. But along with them, man has learned to create his own, artificial, miracles of engineering, which also amaze with their scale and complexity.
Given the pace of development, we do not undertake to assert that in our selection of the TOP 10 Grandiose construction projects of our time, all the most significant projects of our time are presented, but we tried to highlight those that, in our opinion, deserve special attention.

Millau Viaduct

Photo: http://krasivijmir.ru
Photo: http://krasivijmir.ru

The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed bridge across the Tarn River valley in southern France. The authors of the bridge project were the French engineer Michel Virlojo and the English engineer Norman Foster. At the time of its construction, the Millau Viaduct was the highest transport bridge in the world, one of its pillars is 341 meters high - slightly higher than the Eiffel Tower, and only 40 meters lower than the Empire State Building in New York.
The bridge consists of an eight-span steel roadbed supported by seven steel columns. The roadbed weighs 36,000 tons, is 2460 meters long, 32 meters wide and 4.2 meters deep. Each of the six central spans is 342 meters long, the two outer spans are 204 meters long.
The study and design of the Viaduct took 14 years (1987 - 2001), and the construction itself began in October 2001. The project was completed in December 2004.

Palm Jumeirah

Photo: http://goinway.ru
Photo: http://goinway.ru

Photo: https://dubai-life.info
Photo: https://dubai-life.info

Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island, a wonder of the world created by human hands. The island follows the shape of a palm tree with sixteen symmetrical "leaves".
The man-made Palm Jumeirah is quite small compared to its two sisters - Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira - but the first of its kind, and is a famous symbol of the UAE along with the Sail Hotel and the Burj Khalifa.
In 2001, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashi al Maktoum decided to expand the coastline and create a paradise resort in the waters of the Persian Gulf, without using concrete and metal structures.
Interestingly, the sand of the Arabian deserts was not suitable for construction - it is too fine and easily washed out. Therefore, tons of sand had to be extracted with enormous efforts from the bottom of the Persian Gulf and delivered to the coast. This same sand and stones used in the construction would be enough to build a 2.5 meter wall around the globe. After 5 years, the palm island was ready to receive residents. Luxurious villas and hotels took their place on the "leaves". Three months later, an amazing coral reef with two sunken F-100s was added to this splendor to attract divers and strengthen the protection of the island with a barrier reef.
Interesting Facts:

• The breakwater of the Palm Jumeirah reaches three meters in height and eleven and a half meters in length.
• The size of the Palm Jumeirah reaches 5.72 km².
• Houses and villas were sold out in a record three days (the buyers were celebrities who want to retire to a paradise island).
• Palm Island cost $7 billion to build.
• The Palm Jumeirah is visible from space to the naked eye.

A significant problem for the island and its waters remains stagnant water in the bays of the archipelago. The breakwater is vital for protection, but it certainly interferes with water renewal. Despite attempts to cope with this problem, a visible result has not yet been achieved.

Three Gorges Power Plant

Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com
Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com
Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com
Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com
Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com
Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com
Photo: http://grandstroy.blogspot.com

Three Gorges is a dam, as well as the first in capacity and one of the two largest hydroelectric power plants in the world, operating in China on the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world. This object was included in the list of grandiose construction projects of our time because it is one of the largest hydraulic and any other structures in the world. The gravity concrete dam of this reservoir is one of the largest in the world. When the reservoir was filled, 1.3 million people were resettled, which was the largest resettlement in history for the construction of artificial structures.
The construction of the hydroelectric power station began in 1992, the full completion of construction and commissioning took place on July 4, 2012.

Characteristics of HPP structures:

• gravity concrete dam 2309 m long and 185 m high;
• the left-bank dam building of the HPP with 14 hydroelectric units;
• the right-bank dam building of the HPP with 12 hydroelectric units;
• the right-bank underground building of the HPP with 6 hydroelectric units;
• a two-strand five-stage shipping lock (mainly designed for cargo ships, the passage time of the locks is about 4 hours, the dimensions of the chambers are 280 x 35 x 5 m);
• ship lift (mainly designed for passenger ships, carrying capacity 3,000 tons, lifting / lowering time 10 minutes, passage - 30 minutes)

The design capacity of the HPP is 22.5 GW. The annual design level of 100 billion kWh was practically reached for the first time in 2012, during which 98.1 billion kWh was generated.

Eurotunnel

Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by
Photo: https://realt.onliner.by

The Eurotunnel, the tunnel under the English Channel is a double-track railway tunnel with a length of about 51 km, of which 39 km pass under the English Channel. Connects continental Europe with the UK by rail. Thanks to the tunnel, it became possible to visit London from Paris in just 2 hours and 15 minutes; in the tunnel itself, the trains are from 20 to 35 minutes. It was solemnly opened on May 6, 1994.
The Eurotunnel is the third longest railway tunnel in the world.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has declared the Eurotunnel one of the seven wonders of the world of modern times, which allowed it to enter our list of Grandiose constructions of our time.
The first ideas for the construction of the tunnel in 1802 were expressed by the French engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier.
In 1957, a research group was formed, which in 1960, in its report, recommended that two main tunnels be dug and one service tunnel between them.
According to the project, the tunnel was supposed to connect two cities: Calais on the French side and Folkestone on the English side. The tunnel was supposed to be dug in an easily pliable Cretaceous geological layer, so the tunnel had to run deeper than planned, about 50 meters below the bottom of the strait, with the southern part supposed to lie deeper than the northern one.
On December 15, 1987, the first tunneling shield for horizontal workings was launched, and a year later, on February 28, 1988, its French counterpart.
To guide the machines, the operator looked at computer screens and video monitors.

Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct

Photo: http://travelask.ru
Photo: http://travelask.ru
Photo: http://travelask.ru
Photo: http://travelask.ru
Photo: http://travelask.ru
Photo: http://travelask.ru
Photo: http://travelask.ru

The Danyang-Kunshan viaduct is the longest bridge in the world and is listed as such in the Guinness Book of Records. Built as part of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. began in 2008 and completed in 2010, its length was 164.8 km, the opening of the bridge took place on June 30, 2011. Located in East China in Jiangsu province, between the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing. Approximately 9 km of the bridge was laid over the water, the largest body of water that crosses the Danyang-Kunshan viaduct is Yangcheng Lake. The cost of the project, according to various estimates, ranged from 8.5 to more than 10 billion dollars.

Hoover Dam

Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru
Photo: https://bigpicture.ru

The Hoover Dam is a unique hydraulic structure in the United States, built in the lower reaches of the Colorado River. Located in the Black Canyon, on the border of the states of Arizona and Nevada, 48 km southeast of Las Vegas, a few kilometers from the town of Boulder City; forms Lake Mead. Named after Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States. the dam began in 1931 and ended in 1936, two years ahead of schedule.
The initial project provided for a fairly simple architectural solution for the dam and the building of the hydroelectric power station. It was assumed that the outer side of the dam would be an ordinary wall, framed on top by a neo-Gothic balustrade. The building of the power plant should not have differed much from the usual factory workshop.

• The cost of construction is $49 million ($729 million based on prices at the beginning of 2012).
• The height of the dam is 221.4 m (the second highest in the USA).
• The length of the dam is 379.2 m.
• The width of the dam is 200 m at the base, 15 m at the top.
• 3.33 million m³ of concrete was used for the construction of the dam.
• The maximum electric power of the power plant is 2074 MW.
• Between 13,000 and 16,000 people are transported daily across the dam by road (according to the Federal Highway Administration).
• The area of ​​the reservoir is 639 km², the volume of water is 35.2 km³.

Bird's Nest Stadium

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Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua
Photo: https://incomartour.com.ua

The Beijing National Stadium "Bird's Nest" is a multifunctional sports complex created for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In addition to hosting sports, this stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games. The construction of the stadium began in December 2003 according to the design of the bureau Herzog and de Meuron. The opening of the stadium took place in March 2008. The stadium will also host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The construction cost of the stadium is estimated at 3.5 billion yuan, which is approximately 325 million euros.
The stadium has an unusual appearance. The stands of the stadium are located on a concrete "bowl". Around this "bowl" there are 24 truss columns, on top of which there are weaves of curved metal beams. At the top of this structure, ETFE films are stretched between the weaves, this forms the top of the cover. Polytetrafluoroethylene was used in the lower part of the coating. These two materials are transparent, allowing sunlight to enter the stands, and are also very light. For the construction of a stadium in China, a new steel grade was developed, which is distinguished by the almost complete absence of third-party impurities, which to some extent complicated the welding of steel elements. Initially, it was planned to build a stadium with a retractable cover that would completely cover the field area.

Project "New Valley"

Photo: http://wiki-org.ru
Photo: http://wiki-org.ru
Photo: http://wiki-org.ru

The New Valley project is a project to build a road network and canal system in Egypt to transfer water from the Nasser reservoir basin to irrigate the desert southwest of the country. In 1997, the Egyptian government decided to develop a "new" valley to support agricultural and industrial communities. Despite the fact that the project has not yet been completed, it was included in our list of the Grandiose constructions of our time, as it is the most global project since the irrigation of desert regions. If the project fails, it will exacerbate the distribution problems of the Nile's scarce waters.
The construction of the Toshka Canal began from the section lying 8 km north of the Aswan Reservoir to the Toshka Lakes. The canal continues west to the Darb el-Arbe'ien road, then moves north from Darb el-Arbe'ien to the Baris oasis, covering a distance of 310 km. The Mubarak pumping station near Lake Toshka, the main, central part of the project, was launched in March 2005. It pumps water from Lake Nasser, which is transported through a canal through the valley, turning 2,340 km² of desert into arable land. The valley is designed so that when the canal is completed (in 2020), it should be home to more than three million inhabitants and increase Egypt's arable land by 10%.
The Toshka Lakes, the result of excessive flooding from the Nasser Reservoir, ended up in the general area of ​​the New Valley project.

Kansai International Airport

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Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com
Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com
Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com
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Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com
Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com
Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com
Photo: http://divo-ra.blogspot.com

Kansai International Airport is an airport, which is a large complex of structures built by Renzo Piano on an artificial island, poured in the middle of Osaka Bay near the city of Osaka, Japan, which allows it to be on the list of grandiose construction projects of our time.
Opened on September 4, 1994, the airport serves as a base for several airlines: All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airlines. The airport is the air gate of the Kinki region, in which the major cities of Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto are located.
The total cost of Kansai Airport is $15 billion, which is 40% of the budget. The main item of expenditure was the fight against the subsidence of the island. After construction, the sinking of the island proceeded at such a rate that the airport was considered a structural technical disaster. However, the flooding of the island has now slowed down, and now it can be said that nothing threatens the viability of the airport, since there were more pessimistic forecasts. The airport is still in debt and loses $560 million every year. Therefore, the prices for landing at the airport are very high (for example, the airport charges 7,500 US dollars from each Boeing 747).
The engineers were afraid that if they expanded the first island and built a second strip there, the balance of the island might be upset, and so it was decided to build a second island next to the first, connecting them with a narrow isthmus.

Bailong elevator

Photo: https://zumok.ru
Photo: https://zumok.ru
Photo: https://zumok.ru
Photo: https://zumok.ru

The Bailong Elevator is the tallest outdoor elevator in the world. It takes tourists to a height of 330 meters, to an observation deck on top of a mountain in Zhangjiajie National Park in Hunan province.
The elevator itself consists of three two-story cabins, whose load capacity is 3750 kilograms. One cabin can lift or lower 48-50 passengers at a time. Seismic sensors are also installed on the elevator, when triggered, the elevators must evacuate all people down in a short time. The queue for the elevator can be up to four hours.
The "Hundred Dragons Elevator" became more than once a member of the Guinness Book of Records. So, it is the largest in terms of carrying capacity and the fastest passenger elevator, the highest modern elevator, the highest open exposition elevator.
The construction of the elevator began in October 1999, and in 2002 it was opened to the public. The impact of the elevator on the environment has been the subject of much discussion since Wulingyuan received World Heritage status in 2002.

Do you think it’s only in our country that they build grandiosely and expensively, and then they don’t know what to adapt for?
Where there!
There are also North Korea, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Spain, Greece, Romania with their examples of multibillions buried in the ground and poured into concrete.
Here are just a few expensive and in many ways unique construction projects, whose content flies a pretty penny to the owners, but neither the creators nor the visitors need them.

Mirabel Airport
Montreal, Canada
Plans for a new airport for Canada's second largest city, Montreal, were first made public in 1967. And they amazed the imagination: the largest area in the world (40,000 hectares), passenger traffic up to 50 million people a year (this is the approximate total passenger traffic of Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo, taken together for 2016), its own high-speed railway line, monorail, highway, a hotel complex, six terminals, six runways, including runways for receiving supersonic airliners, and so on.
The first stage of the airport was put into operation in 1975, but the plans of its creators did not come true. Erroneous planning of traffic flows, the decrease in the attractiveness of Montreal as an economic center, a change in the policy of the government of Quebec and other factors led to the fact that even 3 million passengers did not pass through Mirabel during its entire existence.
In 2004, due to unprofitability, the airport stopped serving regular commercial flights, turning into a cargo air harbor. Races began to be held on the vast runways, and films were made in the terminal building. And in 2014, they decided to demolish the terminal building, because it was too expensive to operate and no one really needed it. The construction of Mirabell Airport was recognized as a mistake, and the honorary title of "white elephant" was awarded to it in the first decade of its existence. This is often the case with airports. So, the new main Berlin air harbor - Berlin-Brandenburg Airport named after Willy Brandt - was planned to open back in 2011, but it still does not accept either planes or passengers due to errors in the project.

Basilica of Notre Dame de la Paix
Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
In 1983, the permanent president of Côte d'Ivoire, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who by that time had ruled this small African country for almost a quarter of a century, decided to move the capital from the large developed seaside city of Abidjan inland, namely to the village of Yamoussoukro - there, where the politician was born and raised.
Two years later, Houphouet-Boigny laid the foundation stone for the largest church in the world, Notre Dame de la Paix, or Our Lady of Peace. Construction was carried out for four years and cost the country's budget, according to various estimates, in the amount of 175 to 600 million dollars. And this is not surprising: hundreds of tons of marble were brought from Italy, stained-glass windows from France, the building turned out to be 30 thousand square meters in area. m and a height of 158 meters (higher than St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, although Notre Dame de la Paix holds about 18 thousand people, which is three times less than the same St. Peter's Cathedral). On the square paved with granite and marble in front of the basilica, another 200 thousand people can fit, that is, approximately the entire population of Yamoussoukro, of which 19% are Catholics.
By the way, about the population: about 42% of the population of Côte d'Ivoire lives below the poverty line, that is, on less than $1.25 a day. Services in the basilica gather today, at best, hundreds of people.

Ryugyong Hotel
Pyongyang, North Korea
In 1987, the North Korean government, led by President Kim Il Sung, announced the start of construction of the tallest building in the country, the 105-story, 330-meter Ryugyong Hotel with 3,000 (according to other sources, 7,700) rooms and revolving restaurants at the top.
The construction of the hotel was planned to be completed by the 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students, however, due to problems with materials, the main structures were completed only by 1992, after which work stopped altogether for almost a decade and a half due to the economic crisis, and the skeleton of Ryugen became symbol of Pyongyang.
Construction resumed in 2008, and over the next three years, the concrete structure was covered with glass, the new opening date was 2013, and the first photos of the interiors of the future hotel appeared on the Web. The opening, however, has not taken place to this day, and experts around the world doubt that North Korea is even capable of completing construction and that the building is usable. It is noteworthy that the tallest London skyscraper, The Shard, which has a similar shape, is also half empty - buyers are in no hurry to purchase apartments worth 30-50 million pounds.

South China New Mall Shopping Mall
Dongguan, PRC
In 2005, the New South China Mall, a five-story shopping complex, was opened in a poor suburb of Dongguan, with a population of 6 million, the largest in the world. The construction cost exceeded $1.3 billion. The scope is grandiose even by Chinese standards: up to 2350 retail outlets with a total area of ​​660 thousand square meters. m (plus another 232 thousand square meters of other premises), a 25-meter model of the Parisian Arc de Triomphe, canals with gondolas, roller coasters and other entertainment - and no visitors.
In the first years after the opening, tenants occupied only 1% of the center's area. Ten years later, this figure increased tenfold, but even today the complex is mostly empty. The reason is that the local population does not earn enough to make the complex attractive to sellers, and the hopes of developers that the people of Dongguan will get rich have not materialized.

City of Galician culture
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
At the beginning of 1999, the Parliament of Galicia announced that the project of the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia was won by the work of the architect Peter Eisenman: the buildings on the hill of Monte Gaias, as if squeezed out of the ground and reminiscent of cobblestones and shells of mollusks at the same time, should concert halls, galleries, museums, a library and an archive were sheltered.
Construction lasted more than ten years, cost at least twice as much as planned (Eisenman indicated the figure of 400 million euros in the project) and was finally stopped by the decision of the regional government. Two of the six buildings remained unfinished, and most importantly, the vast complex did not attract the expected number of tourists and local residents, while its maintenance is very expensive for the local budget.

Clem Jones Tunnel
Brisbane, Australia
At the beginning of this century, the Australian government of Brisbane conceived the idea of ​​building a series of tunnels to ease traffic in the city and reduce travel time from one end of the city to the other. One of these tunnels was the 4.8-kilometer Clem Jones, which runs under the bottom of the Brisbane River.
In 2005, when construction began, the tunnel was supposed to be the longest tunnel in Australia. Its construction cost 3.2 billion Australian dollars (approximately 2.5 billion US dollars) and was not an easy task: the builders had to make their way through a very hard rock - Brisbane tuff, for which they used the largest roadheaders in the world at that time, costing 50 million Australian dollars each.
Eventually the tunnel and access roads were opened on February 28, 2010 with a large gathering of people. But it soon became clear that citizens use the tunnel much less frequently than the city council had planned: for example, officials expected that 60,000 cars would pass through the tunnel daily, but in reality, about 20,000 drivers use it every day, and besides, it saves only eight minutes on the road and unloads other highways of the city by only 5-10%. The passage through the tunnel is paid, but even discounts and a radical price reduction (to the detriment of the project's payback) do not help increase the attractiveness of the structure among city residents. The operator's losses in 2010 amounted to A$1.6 billion.

Objects of the 2004 Olympics
Athens and surroundings, Greece
The Greek capital has been fighting for the right to host the Summer Olympics since the early 1990s and, having lost the 1996 Anniversary Games to the American Atlanta, it finally got the right to host the 2004 Olympics. Preparations for the Games - the construction of sports and transport facilities, the Olympic Village - cost the country's government 9 billion euros. And although officials recognized the Games as profitable, the costs only exacerbated the severe debt crisis that began three years after their completion.
At the same time, the cost of maintaining sports facilities in good condition was estimated at 500 million euros annually, and these facilities themselves turned out to be useless. So, the center for rowing competitions has turned into a fetid swamp and a place of comfortable living for hordes of mosquitoes, the shooting stadium is overgrown, and the Olympic village is gradually being destroyed. Interestingly, the same is happening with the Olympic venues in Rio de Janeiro and Beijing, as well as with sports facilities built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Palace of Parliament
Bucharest, Romania
This is the heaviest and largest administrative building in the world, ordered to be built by Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu in 1984. For the construction of the Palace of the Parliament, the builders demolished a fifth of Old Bucharest, dug out the top of Spiriy Hill, used 1 million tons of marble, 3.5 thousand tons of crystal, 700 thousand tons of steel and bronze, 900 thousand cubic meters of wood and 200 thousand square meters. meters of carpets. By the time of Ceausescu's execution in 1989, the 12-storey building, 86 meters high (not counting the 92 meters deep underground rooms), was largely finished, although with the fall of communism in Romania, work ceased. Some parts of the building have not been completed yet.
Now in the premises of the palace with a total area of ​​365 thousand square meters. meters (this is about one and a half Red Squares in Moscow) both houses of the Romanian Parliament, three museums and a conference center are located. Together they occupy about 30% of the palace. The cost of the construction is estimated at 3 billion euros, while its lighting and heating costs about 6 million euros annually - about the amount spent per year on the same needs by a medium-sized Romanian city.


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Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world fascinate and captivate with their intricate shapes and configurations. Undoubtedly, these architectural structures deserve the highest praise and special attention. Let's dwell on the 25 most outstanding, built in various parts of the globe.

Burj Al Arab Hotel - Dubai

Burj Al Arab is considered the tallest hotel in the world. This 7-star 60-story building is built on a private artificial island on Jumeirah Beach. The hotel is built in the form of a sailboat, it is located at an altitude of 321 m above sea level.

Inside the building, there is a stunning design: many dancing fountains, huge aquariums, luxurious apartments with gilded decoration.

Catherine Palace - St. Petersburg

In the city of Pushkin near St. Petersburg, there is another beautiful building with a bright blue facade: the baroque palace of Catherine the Great. Crowds of tourists visit this magnificent building to admire it, as well as the famous Amber Room, one of the wonders of the world. Particularly impressive is the graceful wing of the palace in the classical style, which was designed by the architect of Catherine II - Charles Cameron.

Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao, Spain

American architect Frank Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum, which is located in Spain. The most innovative ideas of architecture of the 20th century intertwined in the bold contours of the building. The building, with an area of ​​24 thousand m2, is a landmark with an innovative design. The museum has radically changed the view of modern architecture. During the construction of the building, titanium was used with lines that change color in the sun.

Great Mosque - Djenne, Mali

South of the Sahara is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world - a mosque built by African tribes from clay bricks. The architectural complex was built in 1906 and is the largest structure in the world that is built entirely of mud. In 1988, the mosque was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, ​​Spain

One of the main attractions of Spain, the symbol of Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia or Sagrada Familia, which was designed by Antoni Gaudí. The architect spent 40 years building this Gothic cathedral. After the death of Gaudi, his associates continued to build the temple, it is worth noting that work continues to this day. According to the project, the completion of the construction of the church is expected in 2026.

Taj Mahal, India

This majestic building is located in India, on the southern bank of the Yamuna River. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum complex that took 20 years to build. In its construction, white marble was used, which changes color depending on the sunlight or moonlight. The building was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. The Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the most magnificent buildings in the world.

Wat Rong Khun - Thailand

Wat Rong Khun or "White Temple" is one of the most famous temples in Thailand. The uniqueness of the building is that it stands out for its crystal whiteness and sparkles in the sun. The temple was designed by a famous Thai artist. The building is yet to be improved. It is assumed that there will be nine buildings with halls for relics, meditation and living quarters for the monks.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque - UAE

One of the largest mosques in the world, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is built of marble and can accommodate 40,000 people. The building was completed in 2007. White marble, brought from 28 countries of the world, was used in its construction. In the main hall there is a huge lamp weighing 9 tons, decorated with Swarovski crystals.

Church of the Savior on Blood - Russia

The Church of the Savior on Blood is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and is located in St. Petersburg. The impressive church began to be built in 1883. The majestic building is decorated with colorful towers, interiors with mosaics and unique exterior decoration.

Golden Temple - Amritsar, India

The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) is a stunning building in India, erected in the middle of a lake. The building was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The style of the temple features Hindu and Muslim architecture, which is enhanced by the reflection in the water. It is believed that the building is a holy place and, being here, one must pray.

Shanghai Tower - China

The Shanghai Tower is one of the tallest and most beautiful buildings in the country. It surpasses in height even such buildings as the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. The height of the building is about 650 meters, and the total area is 380 thousand square meters.

World Trade Center 1 or "Freedom Tower" - New York, USA

The "Freedom Tower" in New York is the centerpiece of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. It was built on the site of the twin towers destroyed in the terrorist attack. The tower is the tallest building in the US.

Lotus Temple - Delhi, India

The Lotus Temple in New Delhi is one of the most beautiful temples in India. Designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba. Previously, on the site of the building there was a mystical settlement of Baha Pur - "Bach's Dwelling". The second name of the Bahai temple is Lotus - the Mother of all temples on the Hindustan peninsula. Its magnificence has earned it many awards in architecture.

Grand Lisboa Casino Hotel - China

The Grand Lisboa was designed by renowned Hong Kong architects Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Meng. This impressive skyscraper with a height of 260 meters has 58 floors! Gaming establishments in the building began their work in February 2007. The entire surface of the hotel-casino is a screen of complex configuration. This solution is considered innovative.

Cathedral Mosque of Cordoba - Spain

The Cathedral Mosque of Cordoba in Spain is decorated with intricate patterns, mosaic ornaments and openwork columns. A few centuries ago, an ancient Roman temple stood on this site, then a Visigothic church, and in 785 Mesquita appeared. The pilgrimage to Cordoba was even equated with the obligatory hajj for every Muslim to Mecca.

St. Peter's Basilica - Vatican City, Italy

St. Peter's Basilica - one of the main attractions of the Vatican - is rightfully considered the heart of the Vatican and the entire Catholic world. From a bird's eye view, stunning views of ancient Rome open up, and from the top of the dome you can admire the interior of the cathedral.

Bayon Temple Complex - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Bayon is one of the most amazing temples located on the territory of Angkor Thom and was its religious center. The “highlight” of Bayon is the towers with many faces carved from stone, silently looking from a height on the vast territory of Angkor Thom, and in the heyday of the state - on the entire Khmer Empire. Initially, there were 54 towers, which symbolized the 54 provinces under the rule of the king. Today, only about 37 towers have survived.

Shwedagon Pagoda - Yangon, Myanmar

One of the most majestic and spiritual buildings in Myanmar is the Shwedagon Pagoda. The entire complex is located on an area of ​​more than five hectares. In addition to the main building, there are many sculptural images of mythical and real animals around it: golden griffins, elephants, dragons and lions.

Australian War Memorial - Canberra

The Australian War Memorial is the main memorial dedicated to the memory of soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars. Today it is considered one of the most significant monuments of its kind in the world. The memorial is located near the Parliament building, from the balcony of which a panoramic view of the monument opens.

Mall - Las Vegas, USA

The Fashion Show Mall is the only large mall of its kind in Las Vegas. On the territory of the building there are 250 boutiques, shops and six department stores of famous brands. The center opened in 1981, over the years it has grown to 175 thousand square meters. There is also a huge hall for fashion shows.

Music Building - China

This creative building called Piano House was built in China according to the project of architecture students. The building consists of two parts depicting two instruments - a transparent violin resting on a translucent piano.

The original building was built for music lovers, but it has nothing to do with music. There is an escalator in the violin, and an exhibition complex in the piano.

Siena Cathedral - Italy

According to the legend of the chroniclers, at the beginning of the 13th century, the inhabitants of the city-state of Siena, which acted as the main competitor and opponent of Florence, "called on their leaders to build a temple more magnificent than their neighbors." Thus, in the period from 1215 to 1263, the Duomo of Siena was founded on the site of the old temple according to the plan of the Gothic master Niccolò Pisano. Today this majestic temple is the main attraction of the city.

Milan Cathedral (Duomo) - Milan, Italy

One of the significant places in Milan is the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria Nashente (Duomo), which was built from 1386 to the beginning of the 19th century. The attraction is the third largest Catholic church, which is even considered one of the wonders of the world. Its hundred-meter spiers rise above the center of Milan, and the golden statue of the Madonna on the longest spire (four meters high) is visible from many parts of the city.

Sydney Opera House - Australia

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. Its architect was the Dane Jorn Utzon. Having designed the original roofs, somewhat reminiscent of shells, he made Sydney a magnificent gift - a symbol of the city. Today, every tourist, planning to visit Australia, must include an excursion to the majestic opera house in the program of his trip.

Angkor Wat - Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat is one of the largest places of worship ever built. It was built almost 9 centuries ago. It is located on an area of ​​200 hectares and is surrounded by a moat 190 meters wide. A temple was built in honor of the god Vishnu, who is revered in this area.

In connection with the rapid growth of the world's population, the need for a more developed and large-scale infrastructure naturally increases. Leading engineers of the world annually implement projects that amaze with their grandiosity and scope.
This review presents 5 large-scale buildings that can be called an engineering miracle.
1. The longest bridge in the world

Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is the longest bridge in the world.

Danyang-Kunshansky viaduct - mots, the length of which is 164.8 km.
The construction of the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, which connected Beijing and Shanghai, can be called a real engineering feat. The bridge is 164.8 kilometers long, making it the longest such project in the world. The construction of the bridge lasted 4 years (the opening took place in 2011). For maximum optimization of the work process, 10,000 builders were produced simultaneously from opposite points. The project cost was $10 billion.
2. Archipelago of artificial islands

Palm Islands - man-made islands made in the shape of a palm tree.


Bulk palm islands in Dubai.
Palm Islands in Dubai are recognized as a real engineering and architectural marvel. In recent years, 3 islands have been created - (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira). For their construction, 85,000,000 cubic meters of sand were poured onto the seabed. This archipelago is visible from the moon even to the naked eye.
3. The largest hydroelectric power station in the world

Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world.


"Three Gorges" - the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, built in China.
HPP "Three Gorges" (Three Gorges Dam) is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. The dam is 2309 meters long and 185 meters high. During its construction, 27.2 million cubic meters of concrete were used, which would be enough to fill 10,200 Olympic pools. The energy produced by this hydroelectric power plant covers the needs of 11% of the entire country. The Chinese authorities had to pay $50 billion for the construction of Three Gorges Dam.
4. The longest airport in the world

Kansai Airport is the longest airport in the world.


Kansai Airport is built right in the bay.
Off the coast of the Japanese city of Osaka, right in the bay, a huge international airport Kansai Airport was built. To implement this project, it was necessary to build a man-made island, reinforced with numerous metal structures. The airport was built in the bay, taking into account the sudden threat of flooding, the occurrence of typhoons and the high seismicity of the area. Kansai Airport cost $29 billion.
5. Venice flood barrier

Venice Tide Barrier Project is a project that protects Venice from floods.


Flood water barrier.
It's no secret that Venice is slowly but surely sinking into the water. And periodic floods only "help" her in this. To protect the architectural and cultural pearl of Italy from destruction, a barrier (Venice Tide Barrier) was built. Engineers have developed a unique method of using mobile gates to keep flood waters out of the bay.