Leaning Tower of Pisa – Italy
Construction began: 1172
Total number of years in construction: 199
Architect: Bonanno Pisano
Fact: Although it was originally designed to be straight, the tower leans about 3.99 degrees.
St. Peter’s Basilica – Vatican City
Construction began: 1506
Total number of years in construction: 144
Architect: Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Fact: The building is home to more than 100 tombs, 91 of which belong to previous popes.
St. Basil’s Cathedral – Moscow
Construction began: 1555
Total number of years in construction: 123
Architect: Barma and Postnik
Fact: This cathedral was originally comissioned by Ivan the Terrible.
Taj Mahal – India
Construction began: 1632
Total number of years in construction: 21
Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Fact: Approximately 20,000 people worked on it’s construction.
St. Paul’s Cathedral – London
Construction began: 1675
Total number of years in construction: 36
Architect: Sir Christopher Wren
Fact: A whisper against the wall in the Whispering Gallery can be heard clearly on the other side of the wall, 112 feet away.
Buckingham Palace – London
Construction began: 1702
Total number of years in construction: 23
Architect: John Nash
Fact: The first monarch to live at the palace was Queen Victoria.
Sagrada Familia – Barcelona
Construction began: 1832
Total number of years in construction: still technically under construction
Architect: Antoni Gaudi
Fact: At the time of Gaudi’s death in 1973, the cathedral was only 25% complete. The building is estimated to be completed in 2026.
The White House – Washington DC
Construction began: 1792
Total number of years in construction: 13
Architect: James Hoban
Fact: Today, it takes 570 gallons of paint to cover the exterior of The White House.
Statue of Liberty – New York
Construction began: 1875
Total number of years in construction: 9
Architect: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
Fact: Lady Liberty herself wears size 879 sandals.
Eiffel Tower – Paris
Construction began: 1887
Total number of years in construction: 2
Architect: Stephen Sauvestre
Fact: It is the tallest structure in France.
Tower Bridge – London
Construction began: 1887
Total number of years in construction: 8
Architect: Sir Horace Jones
Fact: This iconic bridge can be opened to 86 degrees to let river traffic pass.
Christ the Redeemer – Brazil
Construction began: 1922
Total number of years in construction: 9
Architect: Heitor da Silva and Paul Landowski
Fact: This structure weighs 635 tonnes
Mount Rushmore – South Dakota
Construction began: 1927
Total number of years in construction: 14
Architect: Gutzon and Lincoln Borglum (Father and Son)
Fact: The heads of these presidents represent the first 130 years of American history.
Chrysler Building – New York
Construction began: 1928
Total number of years in construction: 2
Architect: William Van Alen
Fact: At 1,046 feet it is the tallest brick building in the world.
Empire State Building – New York
Construction began: 1929
Total number of years in construction: 2
Architect: William Lamb
Fact: The static is so strong at the top of the building that people on the observation deck can actually see sparks when they kiss.
Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco
Construction began: 1933
Total number of years in construction: 4
Architect: Joseph Strauss, Charles Alton Ellis and Irving Morrow.
Fact: The term ‘Golden Gate’ actually refers to the Golden Gate strait that is the entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.
Atomium – Brussels
Construction began: 1954
Total number of years in construction: 4
Architect: Andre Waterkeyn
Fact: Atomium is a symbol of peace and scientific progression.
Sydney Opera House – Australia
Construction began: 1959
Total number of years in construction: 14
Architect: Jorn Utzon
Fact: The roof is covered with more than one million titles and boasts 6,225 square metres of glass.
CN Tower – Toronto
Construction began: 1973
Total number of years in construction: 2
Architect: John Andrews and Ned Baldwin
Fact: It took 1,537 workers to build this tower.
Louvre Pyramids – Paris
Construction began: 1983
Total number of years in construction: 6
Architect: Ioeh Ming Pei
Fact: The Louvre’s most famous resident is the Mona Lisa painting.
Petronas Towers – Kuala Lumpur
Construction began: 1993
Total number of years in construction: 3
Architect: Cesar Pelli
Fact: A double decker bridge connects the two towers from the 41st and 42nd floors.
The Millenium Dome aka The O2 – London
Construction began: 1997
Total number of years in construction: 4
Architect: Richard Rogers
Fact: Although called a ‘dome’ this construction is in fact a ‘big top’.
Burj Khalifa – Dubai
Construction began: 2004
Total number of years in construction: 2
Architect: Adrian Smith
Fact: At over 828 metres tall, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world.
The Shard – London
Construction began: 2009
Total number of years in construction: 3
Architect: Renzo Piano
Fact: Angled glass panes reflect the sunlight and the sky so that the appearance of the building changes according to the weather and seasons.
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