Buildings
Fortresses, cathedrals, palaces, and civic monuments built at civilization scale.
19 articlesLatest in Buildings
America's Infrastructure is Being Neglected and Hurricanes Show Us How
Hurricane Helene revealed catastrophic failures in American infrastructure, from crumbling dams and washed-out interstates to overwhelmed emergency response systems, exposing how decades of neglect left communities unprepared for climate-supercharged disasters.
China Is Building the World's Largest Dam
China is constructing the Medog dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, set to become the world's largest hydropower station at 60 gigawatts. Explore the engineering challenges, geopolitical tensions, and environmental concerns surrounding this trillion-yuan megaproject.
A Chinese Maglev Revolution is Coming...
China is building thousands of kilometers of maglev rail lines and developing 600 kph trains that could transform intercity travel. Here's everything we know about the coming revolution.
Dubai is Building the Largest Airport on the Planet.
Dubai is constructing Al Maktoum International Airport, a colossal $35 billion aviation hub designed to handle 260 million passengers annually. Discover the five runways, 400 gates, AI-powered systems, and the new "aerotropolis" rising from the desert.
High-Speed Rail is a Global Disaster...
From soaring costs and political gridlock to corporate lobbying and NIMBYism, high-speed rail projects worldwide are struggling. Explore why this promising technology faces such dismal results—and whether there's still hope.
The Big Problem with a Bering Strait Crossing
Explore the ambitious yet troubled history of proposals to connect America and Russia via the Bering Strait, from 19th century dreams to modern engineering and political obstacles.
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- Why the Sydney Metro cost $3.1B more than projected
- The engineering flaw that grounded Berlin Airport for 9 years
- How the Hoover Dam would be impossible to permit today
- NEOM: $500B city in the desert, or the world's most expensive PR stunt?
More in Buildings
Colossus of Prora The Third Reichs Massive Holiday Resort
Discover the bizarre history of Prora, Nazi Germany's 4.5km holiday resort built for 20,000 workers through the Strength Through Joy program, and its transformation from abandoned ruin to modern destination.
Japan's Gargantuan Flood Defences
From Tokyo's underground cathedral of floodwater to the Great Wall of Japan's tsunami defences, discover how Japan out-engineers disaster with some of the most staggering civil engineering projects on Earth.
Islamabad: The City Pakistan Built for its Social Elite
Explore the ambitious creation of Islamabad, Pakistan's planned capital city. From its 1959 conception through modern-day inequality, discover how this metropolis became both an architectural achievement and a cautionary tale of urban division.
The Stad Ship Tunnel: The First Full-Size Ship Tunnel in the World
Norway is building the Stad Ship Tunnel, a 1.7-kilometer tunnel beneath a peninsula that will allow cargo ships, ferries, and cruise vessels to bypass the treacherous Stadhavet Sea. Learn about this groundbreaking maritime engineering project.
Pioneering Spirit: The Largest Construction Ship in the World
Discover the Pioneering Spirit, the biggest, heaviest vehicle ever made. This twin-hulled behemoth can lift 48,000 metric tons and is revolutionizing offshore oil rig installation and removal.
China's South China Sea Military Bases: The World's Largest Island-Building Project
How China built seven artificial islands in the contested Spratlys, turning three into military bases to back its South China Sea claim