This did not prevent these buildings becoming famous.
9 August is celebrated day of the Builder, and we remember what buildings the builders have not completed that, however, did not prevent these buildings become world-famous attractions. You may be surprised at the kind this building.
Sometimes construction projects take time. Of course, we are talking about huge, complicated buildings, the construction of which requires a lot of labor, invested assets. Launching them is sometimes delayed as the process of construction, which can take centuries. In this list you will find ten world famous buildings, the construction of which was started a long time ago, but still for some reason was never completed.
1. Westminster Cathedral
You probably heard of Westminster Abbey. This is one of the most famous and beautiful churches in the world, which is a recognized architectural masterpiece. Surprisingly, though, it is not considered the main Catholic Church in England, that honor belongs to Westminster Cathedral, which is down the street from the Abbey. Westminster Cathedral, officially recognized headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church of Britain and the main Catholic Church in England and Wales, was built from 1895 to 1903, but in fact never was completed. In particular, over its interior.
2. “German stadium”
“German stadium” was laid in September of 1937 in Nuremberg. This expensive project was the brainchild of Adolf Hitler, who wanted to create a giant arena in the Roman style for all sorts of purposes, including Nazi rallies and widely promoted “national socialist fighting games” (a sort of mix of athletics and military-applied kinds of sport). However, the Second world war stopped the construction before the Nazis were able to deploy any serious work. The building decayed at an early stage (only had dug a horseshoe pit), during the war the works were not carried out, and after the war the site had been brought from the wreckage of building structures and debris, resulting in the analysis of the bomb-devastated buildings in the centre of Nuremberg, poured a mound Silberbuck. Today, in place of the failed grandiose “German stadium” are half-ruined pillars and walls from a test site, as well as a big lake in Nuremberg, which was formed in place of the pit dug under the stadium.
3. Cathedral Of St. John The Theologian
The Cathedral of St. John the divine in new York is one of the largest Christian churches in the world. It is located in Manhattan, in the heart of the city. This building is definitely worth considered as a landmark of new York, but officials for the official list of sights in the Big Apple, waiting until the building is completed.
Began construction of the Cathedral in the distant 1892. From the very beginning the construction was fraught with many challenges — from lack of finances and technical issues to fires, not to mention the fact that the developers several times changed the overall architectural style. Official representatives of the Church are still trying to decide how to finish the Cathedral, and in the meantime, he was nicknamed “St. John the Unfinished”.
4. The Superpower building in Florida
This building is definitely worthy to be in the top ten of colossal failures and unfinished projects. The Powers building is the Church of Scientology the same as what the Vatican is to Catholicism, according to the leader of the Church of Scientology David Miscavige. Work on the construction of the building began in 1999 in Clearwater, Florida. According to preliminary estimates, the construction was supposed to take two years with total budget of $ 40 million. In 2003, the building was abandoned for six years, as leaders of the Church decided to re-plan the entire interior of the building and collect more donations. All this was done, despite the daily fines of $ 250, which was applied for a simple. Work began again in 2009, but the building was never launched. Many followers of Scientology have left the Church, disillusioned aimless spending donated for the project million, and in January 2013 Luis and Rocio Garcia filed a lawsuit against the Church for wasting their money.
5. The international space station
The international space station (ISS) is not exactly a building, since it is a “modular structure”, but it is included in this list because it is in a constant state of construction. Unlike most of the buildings in the list, the ISS exists in the movement, and it is believed that it is managed and supported by all countries of the world, therefore, surprising that the design still has not collapsed. The first component of the ISS, called Zarya, was launched into orbit in 1998, and the most recent was added in 2011. Now in fairness I should mention that technically the ISS should have been completed by 2005, but due to changes in technology and science, this date never had a chance. Thus, there are several new components that you plan to join within the next few years, and construction is “almost halfway” finished.
6. National Palace of Ajuda
National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon is not only a famous landmark but also the official residence of the Portuguese Royal family. All the above points, it would seem that it should be placed in the list of priorities of the Portuguese builders and developers. However, the design, the construction of which began in 1796, was never completed. Lack of Finance and a series of wars led to the fact that the project has been modified and changed. But construction continued in spite of these setbacks, until the Portuguese revolution in 1910, which overthrew the monarchy. Currently, the unfinished Palace functions as a Museum.
7. Watchesthere mansion
If you’ve heard about Woodchester mansion, it is likely that information gleaned from the TV shows about ghosts, which tells that the mansion is cursed. In fairness — a mental hospital wanted to move to this mansion, and during the Second world war was located near the soldiers, but considering that no one in the building lived, rumors about ghosts should be taken with skepticism. In fact, the woodchester Mansion is famous because it is only the appearance of the building — from the outside the building looks like a real mansion, but the interior trim leaves something to be desired (simply absent). William Lee, commissioned the mansion was a perfectionist. And poor perfectionist that when I was able to get some money, he worked on his project and always personally supervised the construction and/or change plans. Well, at least what was built was built well. Watchesthere mansion is open to visitors, if you would like to see the interior of the house that looks decent on the outside only.
8. The Parliament building of New Zealand
The New Zealand Parliament works in an unfinished building for over a century. The project for the new Parliament was approved in 1911 and included two phases of construction: one for the important areas and the other for less important, such as the library and the Administration of criminal law. Construction was supposed to take only two years, but only started in 1914, and the first stage was completed in 1922 (in fairness, at this time there was a war). In any case, the second stage of the construction official of the parliamentary buildings has not begun — so the “official opening” took place only in 1995. The building is actually not finished and to this day, but another building for the library and offices under the name “beehive” (Beehive) was built on unused space. So the new Zealanders were able to somehow get out.
9. Atomic power plant marble hill
The construction of this nuclear power plant in Indiana began in 1977, and about 7 years it was believed that she will become a full-functioning element of nuclear energy. Then, in 1984, after bringing the reactors to a state of half-readiness has been spent $ 2.5 billion, the company abandoned the project — they simply do not have the money to complete it. The company sold some equipment to get a few million. The station is not finished yet and the company which it belongs, is now in the process of demolition.
10. Sagrada Familia
Unlike St John’s Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona has received worldwide recognition — despite the fact that since 1882 is still under construction. Moreover, it was included in the world heritage list of UNESCO, it was attended by the Pope and proclaimed a Basilica. The Sagrada família is the brainchild of the famous architect Antoni gaudí, who spent most of his life, transforming the Cathedral into the grotesque, nature-inspired work of art. Unfortunately, Gaudi died tragically in 1926, came under the tram. His masterpiece at that time was completed in less than a quarter.
But the building is being improved still, inspired by the vision of gaudí and financed almost exclusively by the millions of tourists who annually flock to see him. Today the Sagrada Familia is finished more than half, and, according to optimistic estimates, the construction will be completed by 2026 — the centenary of Gaudi’s death. However chief architect gives careful prediction that the temple will complete in less than 100 years. So while we all get to watch an unfinished building.
