Unfinished building facts for kids
An unfinished building is a structure that was being built but was stopped. This can happen because the project was completely given up on, or just put on hold for a while. Many different things can cause a building to remain unfinished.
Contents
Why Buildings Don't Get Finished
There are several common reasons why a building might not be completed.
Money Problems
One of the main reasons is a lack of money. Building huge structures costs a lot. If the money runs out, construction has to stop. For example, the National Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland, was meant to be a memorial for soldiers. Building began in 1826, but the funds ran out just three years later, in 1829. It has remained unfinished ever since.
Missing Plans or Designers
Sometimes, the people designing the building or their plans are lost. The famous Sagrada Família, a large church in Barcelona, Spain, is a great example. Its main architect, Antoni Gaudí, died in 1926. He was hit by a tram. He hadn't left many detailed plans for the rest of the building. What plans were left were later destroyed during a difficult time in Spain's history, the Spanish Civil War. This war also made it hard to find money and workers to continue the project. Even though it started in 1882, it is still being built today!
Other Challenges
Other issues can also stop construction. These include unexpected problems with the land, changes in building rules, or even natural disasters. Sometimes, a building might just become too expensive to finish or even to tear down, like the Szkieletor in Kraków, Poland.
Famous Unfinished Buildings Around the World
Many buildings around the globe have interesting stories about why they were never completed.
- Duomo di Siena, Siena, Italy
- Goodwood House, West Sussex, England
- Herrenchiemsee, Bavaria, Germany
- Szkieletor, Kraków, Poland
- Woodchester Mansion, Stroud, Gloucester, England
- Parliament House, Wellington, New Zealand
- Bishop Castle, Colorado, USA
- Boldt Castle, Thousand Islands, New York USA
- National Monument, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Ajuda National Palace, Lisbon, Portugal
- Cuenca Cathedral, Cuenca, Spain
- Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California, USA
- Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
- Torre de la Escollera, Cartagena, Colombia
- Plaza Rakyat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Sagrada Família, Barcelona, Spain
Images for kids
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Construction stopped on Sathorn Unique tower in 1997 when it was about 80% complete.
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Construction of the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang was on hold between 1992 and 2008. If it had been finished on time, it would have been the tallest hotel in the world back then.
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Sir Christopher Wren's 1698 drawing for a rebuilt Palace of Whitehall.
See also
In Spanish: Edificio sin terminar para niños
