It is the year 2154 and the human race has been divided in two. The wealthy live on an advanced space station called Elysium, where there is no disease, poverty or war, while the poor struggle to survive on an overpopulated, ruined planet Earth. This incredible space station would certainly be praised as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’, which prompted us to have a think about some of the best modern architectural wonders.
The Empire State Building, New York
For old time’s sake, really, but it still deserves a mention as one of the more romantic modern wonders of the world! Thanks to Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant, countless couples have found love, declared love and celebrated love atop the Empire State Building. Even if you’re not into all that stuff, the iconic photograph of eleven workmen eating their lunch on a suspended beam during its construction is undeniably awesome.
The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Speaking of American architecture, this impressive bridge also deserves a mention. The Golden Gate Bridge is the second largest suspension bridge in the United States. It is beautiful, graceful and an iconic piece of American architecture. On a cloudy day in San Francisco its 700ft-tall towers seem to touch the heavens. It was also the site of a pretty epic ape vs human showdown.
The Burj Khalifa, Dubai
The Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building, towering over 2,500 feet in the sky (that’s nearly 3 times the length of the Titanic!) Not only that, it boasts the longest-travelling lift in the world. Tom Cruise also terrified onlookers by sitting at the very top of the giant building during the filming of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol. In the film itself, Tom hurls himself out of one of its windows, runs along the side and then launches himself from one side to the other.
The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
This is truly amazing – the Palm Jumeirah is a series of man-made islands built in the shape of a palm tree. You can probably see it from space, and it’s definitely worth a look on Google Earth. Made up of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds and a surrounding crescent island forming a breakwater, the Palm Jumeirah easily makes it onto our list of modern wonders.
And last, but certainly not least…
The Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
This large Roman Catholic church is Barcelona’s biggest tourist attraction, and it’s obvious why. Designed by the late great Antoni Gaudí, the art nouveau church is beautiful, abstract, completely unique and seemingly years ahead of its time. Interestingly, the church is also unfinished; Gaudí died in 1926 before its completion and major interruptions in the twentieth century have meant that the anticipated completion date is not until 2026 – the centenary of Gaudí’s death. Perhaps, then, we should count the Sagrada Familia (along with the fictional Elysium) as a wonder of the future world…
See Matt Damon in his new film Elysium – at cinemas today!