Unfinished construction projects



An unfinished building project is a planned architectural structure, such as a house, a bridge, a traffic route, a tower or a sacred building , in which the construction work never began, was at some point given up or stopped, or was never used as a building for the planned purpose. It can also be projects that are currently still being built, especially those that have been delayed or where the construction work is progressing extremely slowly and usually the budget has been significantly exceeded.
Many of the listed construction or engineering projects have not yet been completed in various stages of development. Some works were only completed as a planning or construction drawing and never realized or they were abandoned during construction.
Only unfinished projects are listed here, which are remarkable because of their history and have received international attention or which have been reported here in the media because of their national importance.
Partly completed structures
There are numerous unfinished buildings that have been erected in countries around the world, however some of them can be used in their incomplete state while others remain only as ruins. Some projects are intentionally left unfinished, particularly follies of the late 16th to 18th centuries.
Some buildings are in an almost unlimited production cycle, the work of which takes decades or even centuries.
One of the most famous, still incomplete buildings is the Sagrada Família basilica by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona . Construction began in 1882 and the work is expected to be completed by 2026, the hundredth anniversary of Gaudi's death and almost 150 years after the foundation stone was laid. Work was delayed by the Spanish Civil War which destroyed the original models and parts of the building. Although the basilica is incomplete, it still remains the most popular tourist destination in Barcelona today, with 1.5 million visitors a year. Gaudí spent 40 years of his life directing the project and is buried in the crypt. The completion of Cologne Cathedral took even longer. Construction began in 1248 and ended in 1880, for a total of 632 years.
Construction projects that were never completed
Construction project | ![]() |
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Siena Cathedral "Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta" |
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Siena Tuscany![]() |
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Construction period: 1196–1348 (unfinished). The church, which would have continued to use today's cathedral as a transept, should have the dimensions of Old-St. Peter , then one of the largest churches in the world. |
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Abbey of Santissima Trinità "Complesso della Santissima Trinità" |
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Venosa Basilicata![]() |
Start of construction 5th century, unfinished; consists of the old church, remains of the monastery buildings and an unfinished new church. |
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Basilica of San Petronio "Basilica di San Petronio" |
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Bologna Province of Bologna![]() |
Start of construction in 1390; many architects were consulted without ever finding a final solution. The facade is still unfinished today. |
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Cathedral of Our Lady |
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Antwerp Province of Antwerp![]() |
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Of the planned two-tower facade in the west, only the north tower was completed in the 16th century, which, however, is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture both with its height of 123 m and its filigree construction with a lantern. |
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Kalta Minor |
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Ichan Qalʼа , Khiva Xorazm Province |
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At 80 m it should be the largest minaret in the Islamic world. In 1850, after the death of Khan Muhammad Amin, construction began at ≈29 m. |
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Hassan Tower |
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The unfinished minaret of the also unfinished Great Mosque. Begun under Yaʿqūb al-Mansūr towards the end of the 12th century; after his death (1199) the construction work was stopped forever. |
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In other cases, the construction work is extremely slow, so that one can also speak of incomplete structures. Examples: | |||||||||||
Cologne cathedral |
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Cologne Kurköln![]()
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Construction lasted from 1248 to 1880, a total of 632 years. In addition to ongoing restorations, there is also expansion work to achieve the planned state of expansion. |
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Cathedral of Saint John the Divine |
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New York City New York![]() |
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From 1892 it was supposed to be the largest Anglican church in the world, but it is not finished until. The construction work was stopped in 1999 for lack of money. In 2001 a fire destroyed the north transept, and restoration began in 2003. |
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Sagrada Família "Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família" |
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Barcelona Catalonia![]() |
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Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família has been built since 1882 and is expected to be completed in the 2020s. The central church tower (172.50 m) should be completed in 2026, 100 years after Gaudí's death. |
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Cuenca Cathedral "Catedral de Santa María y San Julián" |
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Cuenca
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Beginning in 1196, still unfinished due to technical problems |
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Westminster Cathedral "Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ" |
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London England![]() |
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Planning and fundraising from around 1850, construction began in 1895, opened in 1903. The planned interior work is still not complete. |
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Christ the Savior Church "Саборни храм Христа Спаса" |
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Pristina |
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The construction of the Serbian Orthodox Church began in 1996 by order from Belgrade and was interrupted in 1999. It is seen as a symbol of the rule of Slobodan Milošević , therefore not completed and rather serves as a memorial to the Serbian rule. |
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Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |||||||||
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Herrenchiemsee New Palace |
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Herreninsel , Upper Bavaria Bavaria![]() |
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Built by the “fairy tale king” Ludwig II from 1878; since the king's death in 1886 the building has remained largely unfinished. |
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Prora " KdF -Seebad Rügen" |
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Binz , Ruegen Land Mecklenburg![]()
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The seaside resort complex, which was built between 1936 and 1939 but remained unfinished, was intended to accommodate 20,000 people at the same time. The beginning of the Second World War in 1939 prevented completion. |
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House of Tourism |
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Tiergarten Greater Berlin![]() |
Construction began in 1938, construction work on the almost finished shell was stopped due to the war in 1942. In 1964 the ruins were torn down. |
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Ruins of the Stotel |
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Stotel , Loxstedt Lower Saxony![]() |
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After 1970 planned and started construction of a satellite town. The first unfinished high-rise buildings were demolished in 2001. |
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Imperial ruins |
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Troisdorf
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Planned as an airport hotel by the building contractor Franz Kaiser. Started in the early 1970s but never completed. It stood empty for almost three decades. The building ruin named after the client was blown up in 2001 after it had been vacant for ≈30 years. |
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Adenauervilla |
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Kammerwald, Duppach
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When connections to the contractors were publicly discussed in the press with suspicion of corruption, the construction project was discontinued in March 1956 and never resumed. |
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Elbphilharmonie |
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HafenCity Hamburg![]() |
Opened since construction began in 2007 after several long interruptions in the tenth year of construction. After that, several repairs and restorations were due. The overall expansion envisaged in the original planning concept has not yet been implemented. |
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Bismarck Tower (Wieża Bismarcka) |
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Sorau
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Never completed representative building. It was started in 1914, but the work was halted in June 1914 due to a construction workers' strike, so that only 25 of the planned 42 m had been achieved by the outbreak of World War I. |
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Szkieletor (skeleton) "Unity Tower Biurowiec NOT " |
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Krakow Lesser Poland![]() |
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The high-rise building (92 m, 24 floors), which was started in 1974, remains unfinished as a ruin because its completion or demolition are too expensive. |
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House of the Soviets "Дом Советов" Dom Sowetow |
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Kaliningrad Kaliningrad Oblast![]() |
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The 16-story high-rise built in the 1970s showed static problems before completion, which led to the construction work being stopped. The council house has remained in ruins since then. |
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Goodwood House |
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West Hampnett , Chichester West Sussex![]() |
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The original plan was for a much larger building as an irregular octagon around a large courtyard. Of the eight wings required for this, only three were built due to lack of funds. |
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Woodchester Mansion |
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Stroud , Gloucester England![]() |
Unfinished mansion abandoned by its owner in the middle of construction. He left behind a building that appears complete from the outside, but is missing floors, plaster and entire rooms. Remaining in this state since the mid-1870s, it is now only home to many horseshoe bats . |
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National Monument of Scotland |
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Edinburgh Scotland![]() |
Begun in 1823. After a few columns were erected, the monument remained unfinished after 1829 due to lack of money. |
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Beaumaris Castle |
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Anglesey Wales![]() |
The construction of the castles began in 1284, but was delayed for lack of money and ultimately never fully completed. Otherwise it is in good condition. |
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Parliament Building "New Zealand Parliament Buildings" |
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It consists of four different, architecturally completely different buildings from different epochs. The planned expansion was modified several times, but never achieved. |
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Bishop Castle |
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San Isabel National Forest Colorado![]() |
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Since there are no building plans or permits, Jim Bishop has had numerous disputes with the authorities since 1996. Nevertheless, he continues to build his fantasy castle himself. |
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Boldt Castle |
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Thousand Islands New York![]() |
Georg Boldt, born in Bergen on Rügen in 1851 , operator of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel , wanted to create an incomparable home for his family, but especially for his wife. When his wife suddenly died, construction work stopped that same day and Boldt never set foot on the island again. |
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Chicago Spire |
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Chicago Illinois![]() |
611-meter skyscraper, construction of which began in 2007 and was discontinued in 2008 due to financial difficulties; so far only foundation available |
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Palácio Nacional da Ajuda |
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Lisbon District Lisbon![]() |
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The construction work started in 1802 had to be interrupted several times over the years, so that the palace could not be completed until 1861, if only partially. A further construction is planned. |
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Hotel Monte Palace |
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Vista do Rei, Lagoa das Sete Cidades , São Miguel Azores![]() |
The 5-star luxury hotel with a fantastic view opened in April 1989 before the complex was completed. Due to insufficient occupancy, the house had to give up after 19 months in November 1990. Since then the facility has been falling into disrepair. |
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Plaza Rakyat |
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Mixed skyscraper complex that was initiated in the 1990s. However, the project that had already started came to a standstill due to the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and was abandoned in 2020. |
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Torre de la Escollera |
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Cartagena
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Planned 206 tall skyscraper built in 2005. In 2007 a storm damaged the building under construction so badly that it had to be demolished. |
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Centro Financiero Confinanzas |
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1990 Third tallest building in Venezuela, construction work was stopped in 1994 due to a financial crisis |
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Aspotogan Sea Spa |
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Lunenburg County Nova Scotia![]() |
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Building ruin, privately financed in 1999 by the German siblings Brigitta Hennig and Wolfgang Spiegelhauer of the construction company Suwobau. At the end of 1996 the creditors forced a foreclosure. The unfinished large building has been torn down since 2015 |
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Monumento a la Revolución |
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Remnants of a huge parliament building begun in 1910 that was never completed |
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Kaliakra transmitter |
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Kaliakra Dobruja![]() |
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Huge, never fully commissioned transmitter, which was planned by the USSR from 1988 . After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, there was no longer any need and construction work was stopped. Private broadcasters are currently using the station. |
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Unfinished projects
There are various objects that have been planned, construction has partly started, but they are still unfinished and the project goal has not been achieved. Some structures have now been closed, some demolished or used differently than intended.
Transport projects
Many construction projects for public passenger and freight traffic on land, water and in the air were not implemented as planned. Either the construction was never started or not yet completed as planned. This means that these objects cannot be used or can only be used to a limited extent or have since been abandoned and in some cases removed.
Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |||||||||||||||
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Bordeaux transporter bridge |
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Bordeaux , Gironde Nouvelle-Aquitaine![]() ![]() |
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Never operate gone transporter bridge across the Garonne , with the start of construction in 1910, blasted the 1,942th Only the former tower foundations are left. |
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Interstate 710 |
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Long Beach ↔ Monterey Park Los Angeles County California![]() ![]() |
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Construction began in 1934 as "State Route 15", from 1964 "Interstate 710". Some of the traffic has to run on secondary and alternative routes. The deadline for complete completion remains open. |
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Olimpijka | ⮃ |
East Berlin Poznan Lodz Warsaw Minsk Moscow |
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In the 1970s ≈1,900 km of motorway from Berlin to Moscow planned as a prestige project for the 1980 Olympics . Only smaller sections could be completed because the costs exceeded the economic strength of those involved. The currently built section of the Polish A2 follows the Olimpijka |
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Bundesstrasse 464 |
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near Sindelfingen
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Runs so far in two unconnected sections through the district of Böblingen , County Tübingen and District Reutlingen |
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Federal motorway 46 |
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Heinsberg ↔ Olsberg
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Only 3 sections completed since 1973 |
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Reichsautobahn Vienna ↔ Wroclaw |
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Also route 138; planned and partially built Reichsautobahn through Czechoslovakia . In the Czech Republic are still operated leg motorway is often called "Hitlerova dálnice" (Hitler's Highway) referred |
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Reichsautobahn Berlin ↔ Koenigsberg |
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Official name for a partially realized Reichsautobahn project in the 1930s and 1940s |
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Route 24 |
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Heidekreis
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The 35 km long Reichsautobahn project in what is now Lower Saxony, started in 1938 |
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Route 46 |
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Fulda ↔ Wuerzburg | The construction of this planned Reichsautobahn began in 1937 and stopped in 1939 |
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Route 77 |
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Ruhr area
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In parts of the Reichsautobahn built between 1938 and 1942 to connect the major industrial areas |
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Route 85 |
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Eisenach ↔ Meiningen ↔ Bamberg | Reichsautobahn, which was partially under construction by 1940 |
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Elster-Saale Canal |
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White Elster near Leipzig ↔ Saale near Leuna Province of Saxony ![]() |
1933–1943 created in parts; all, well advanced work was stopped at the beginning of the war. |
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Datteln-Hamm Canal |
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Dortmund-Ems Canal , kilometer 19.51
Lippstadt
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Originally, the canal was supposed to be built further to Lippstadt ; this project did not come to fruition. Abutments for bridges were built over the missing section in at least three places . Only the line to Schmehausen is in operation |
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Cincinnati Subway |
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Cincinnati Ohio![]() |
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Of the planned 19 kilometers, 11 kilometers were completed and filled with water in 1939, and a further 5.5 kilometers have already been partially excavated. |
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Right stretch of the Moselle |
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Treis ↔ Neef
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Planned and partially completed, but never operational railway line on the lower Moselle between Bullay and Koblenz . The most striking structure was the 2565 m long Treiser Tunnel. |
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Ahr Valley Railway |
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Remagen - Adenau , Rhineland-Palatinate Province![]() ![]() |
The 1.3 km long railway tunnel near Ahrweiler was never connected to the railway network as a result of the First World War . During the Second World War it served as a production facility for the armaments industry and as a bunker for the population. Since the 1950s, it has been expanded into a West German government bunker. The bunker system was dismantled at the end of the 1990s. In 2008, the Museum Documentation Center Government Bunker was set up in a 203 m long section . A bridge pillar has been preserved from the unfinished Adenbach bridge, which was supposed to lead to the tunnel. |
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Royal Westphalian Railway Company |
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Headquarters Willebadessen, Province of Westphalia![]()
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The plans were often expanded, but the implementation always lagged behind the specifications. The KWE route network last covered around 315 kilometers when it was taken over by the Prussian State Railways . |
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Strategic embankment |
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Neuss ↔ Metz |
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Railway construction 1904 - 1923 as a branch of the unfinished Ahr Valley Railway , which connects the Rhineland and Lorraine and was never used except for a small part between Rommerskirchen and Horrem |
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Berlin subway - building fragments |
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Various preliminary structural work for planned subway lines. The chances of completion are very slim |
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Elevated Road and Train System |
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A failed project to build a combined highway and rail viaduct from central Bangkok to Don Muang Airport . Construction began in 1990, but only 10-13% was completed. The project ended in 1998. |
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Foreshore Freeway Bridge |
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City Center Cape Town Western Cape![]() |
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Construction of the bridge began in the early 1970s but was canceled in 1977 and the project remained unfinished. |
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Brommagrenen |
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Essingeleden ↔ Stora Essingen Stockholm Stockholms län ![]() |
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Planned city motorway in the 1967 city map for Stockholm. From the connecting ramp to and from Essingeleden, which was already completed in the 1960s, an approximately 200-long, grass-covered road ruin remained on Stora Essingen |
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Berlin-Tegel Airport "Otto Lilienthal" (TXL) |
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Tegel , Reinickendorf Berlin![]() |
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The construction started in 1969 never reached the planned size. The second planned hexagonal terminal and the subway connection to the U5 were abandoned in favor of BER Airport despite the preliminary construction work. TXL is to be shut down in 2020. | ![]() |
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Berlin main station |
Moabit , Mitte district of Berlin![]() |
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Construction began in 1995. The hall roof of the east-west facing tram level was shortened compared to the original plan in order to be able to put the main station into operation for the 2006 World Cup . A north-south S-Bahn connection is under construction (north branch) or in planning (connection to Potsdamer Platz) in 2020. | ![]() |
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Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" (BER) |
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Schönefeld Brandenburg![]() |
Under construction since 2006 with various scandals. Another opening date is planned for autumn 2020 |
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Berlin Warschauer Strasse train station |
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Friedrichshain Berlin![]() |
The station building, which was closed in 2004 due to dilapidation, was demolished in 2005. A replacement building has been erected at the same location since 2011, the completion of which has been delayed several times. |
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Montréal bus station |
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Montreal Quebec![]() |
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Start of construction: 1951, unfinished after 60 years, initially put into operation in 2011. |
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Masurian Canal |
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Start of construction: 1911, 50.4 kilometers long, navigable connection between the Masurian Lake District and the Baltic Sea near Königsberg in former East Prussia, never completed during the World War |
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Berezina canal system |
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Connection Dnieper - Düna ( Black Sea - Baltic Sea ) started in 1797 , until 1941 it was still used for timber transport. During WWII , locks were blown up and parts of the canals fell into disrepair. |
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Jonglei Canal |
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Jonglei |
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Construction began in 1974 to bypass the Sudd wetland on the White Nile , but was interrupted as a result of the Civil War in South Sudan. 70% of the planned length of 360 kilometers has been completed. |
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Arenas
Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |||
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German stadium |
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Westend Berlin![]() |
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1913–1934, should be rebuilt for the 1936 Olympics . After the " seizure " of the Nazis was operating on Hitler the stadium by the Olympic Stadium replaced |
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German stadium |
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Nuremberg Bavaria![]() |
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Designed for the Nazi party rally grounds. The realization of the construction project did not get beyond digging the construction pit. Remaining visible relics are the Silbersee and the Silberbuck |
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Taipei Dome |
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Xinyi Taipei![]() |
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Under construction since 2012. The government prohibits completion |
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Rides
Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |
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Berlin Zoo viewing wheel |
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Tiergarten Berlin![]() |
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Planned 185-meter ferris wheel at the zoological garden. First groundbreaking on December 3, 2007, target date was 2011, construction did not start due to financing problems. |
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Spreepark Berlin ( former Plänterwald cultural park) |
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Plänterwald Berlin![]() |
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1989-2001; is still in the neglected park (2009 without passengers in trial operation) |
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Orphan Rocker , Scenic World |
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Katoomba , Blue Mountains New South Wales![]() |
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Built in 1988, defects were discovered during the test that prevented commissioning. Several sections of the route have been redesigned and replaced since the 1990s. Fitness to drive was not achieved until 2017. Since then, dismantling. |
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Vertigorama Parque de la Ciudad |
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The high-speed roller coaster was completed in 1983, but never opened due to electrical issues. |
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Industrial plants
investment | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |
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Bertzit Tower |
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Kahla , Plessa Brandenburg![]() |
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The tower was built in the 1920s at the Ada underground coal mine and was part of a lignite refining facility. The construction was never completed and remained as an investment ruin . |
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Metal combine NKMZ Kramatorsk |
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Kramatorsk Donetsk Oblast![]() |
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The 100 m chimney, begun in 1967, was part of the boiler house, the construction of which was stopped in the early 1990s due to the economic crisis. Work on the partially erected chimney was stopped in 1994 at 95 m and blown up in 2014. |
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GRES-2 power plant |
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Ekibastus , Pavlodar |
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The coal-fired power plant GRES-2 was planned with eight units, only two units went into operation in 1990 and 1993. Construction of the third block began in 1990, but was canceled again. A crane can therefore be seen in many pictures of the GRES-2 power plant. |
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Nuclear energy
Construction project | ![]() |
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Crimea nuclear power plant |
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Shcholkine Crimea![]() |
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1982–1988 only partially built, later partially dismantled due to seismic activity and now decaying |
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Kalkar nuclear power plant |
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Kalkar
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SNR-300 ( S chneller N sodium-cooled R eaktor or "fast breeder") was completed in 1985 but never went into operation for political reasons. Now as Wonderland Kalkar used |
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Mülheim-Kärlich nuclear power plant |
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Mülheim-Kärlich
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Commissioned in March 1986, due to a faulty building permit process, it had to go offline in September 1988. The cooling tower was demolished in 2019, complete demolition before 2030. |
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WAW reprocessing plant |
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Wackersdorf ,
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The construction, which began in 1985, was accompanied by massive protests by parts of the population and stopped in 1989. |
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Lemóniz nuclear power plant |
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Lemóniz Basque Country![]() |
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Erected from 1974. Construction was stopped after bloody protests |
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Marble Hill Nuclear Power Plant |
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Jefferson County Indiana![]() |
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Construction began in 1977, in 1984 the half-finished project was abandoned. Loss of $ 2.5 billion |
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Satsop nuclear power plant |
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Elma, Grays Harbor County Washington![]() |
Construction started in 1977 but stopped in 1995 after financial problems |
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Stendal nuclear power plant |
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Arneburg
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It was to become the largest nuclear power plant in the GDR. Construction freeze and partial demolition after the fall of the Wall |
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Blocks 5–8 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant |
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Chornobyl , Ivankiv Raion Kiev Oblast![]() |
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Blocks 5 & 6 were under construction from 1981 onwards, 7 & 8 were only planned. Unit 5 should have started trial operation in 1986, 6 was completed. After the disaster , work was stopped due to excessive radiation exposure |
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Valdecaballeros nuclear power plant |
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Valdecaballeros Province of Badajoz![]() |
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Construction began in 1979, but the project was discontinued in 1983 following a decision by the new government |
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Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant |
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Gongliao New Taipei![]() |
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Construction, which began in 1978, was discontinued at an advanced stage in 2014 after years of protests |
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Juraguá nuclear power plant |
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Juraguá , Cienfuegos Province |
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Start: 1967, due to the Cuban economic crisis after the collapse of the USSR, Fidel Castro ordered the temporary interruption of the construction project in 1992 for cost reasons, final abandonment in 2000 |
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Żarnowiec nuclear power plant |
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Żarnowiec ( German Zarnowitz ) Pomerania![]() |
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Should become the first nuclear power plant in Poland in 1972. After the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, the plan was to adapt the power plant to EU safety standards and to equip the reactors with automation devices from KWU . The project was abandoned in the 1990s due to public protests. |
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Zwentendorf nuclear power plant |
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Zwentendorf Lower Austria![]() |
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Construction 1971–1978, was completed, but never put into operation as a nuclear power plant as planned due to a referendum . |
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Energy transport
Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |||
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Wolmirstedt HVDC close coupling substation |
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Wolmirstedt Saxony-Anhalt![]() |
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In the 1980s, bidirectional energy exchange via an HVDC close coupling was planned. The expansion began in 1989. After the opening of the border, the shell of the converter hall was already finished, the power grids of East and West Germany were synchronized and operations were stopped in April 1990. |
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Elbe project |
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Vockerode ↔ Marienfelde |
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In 1941 it was decided to build a bipolar underground cable between the “Elbe” power plant and the Marienfelde industrial area. Work started in August. The high-voltage line never went into operation as a result of the war |
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HVDC Ekibastus Center |
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Since 1978 unfinished system for HVDC between Kazakhstan and Russia, construction of which began in 1978. At 2,414 km, it should be the longest in the world. |
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Nord Stream II |
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Vyborg Leningrad Oblast ↔ Lubmin![]()
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Should be completed by 2019 as a supplement to "Nord Stream". Interruption since 2019 due to US sanctions threats. About 130 and 150 km were still missing. Completion currently uncertain. |
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South Stream |
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Anapa Krasnodar Region ↔ Varna Varna Oblast![]() ![]() |
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In 2009, the construction agreement for the 931 km pipeline through the Black Sea was signed. In 2014 the project was discontinued for the time being due to Bulgaria's blockade following the Crimean crisis . |
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Nabucco pipeline |
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Erzurum ↔ Baumgarten Lower Austria ![]() |
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Natural gas pipeline planned before 2002 from Azerbaijan to the EU distribution center Austria. Although the EU strongly supported the project, there was no agreement among the participating states. The project was discontinued in 2013. |
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Burgas Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline |
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Burgas Oblast Burgas ↔ Alexandroupoli![]()
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262 km long oil pipeline project to bypass the Bosporus from 2014. Failed due to Bulgaria's exit in 2011. |
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Towers
Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |
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Watkin's Tower |
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London England![]() |
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Built 1892-1894 based on the model of the Eiffel Tower, the 47 m high stump was demolished in 1907 due to financial and structural difficulties. Planned height: 350.5 m |
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Yekaterinburg TV tower |
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Sverdlovsk Russian SFSR Yekaterinburg Sverdlovsk Oblast![]() ![]() |
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Started in 1983 and with a planned 361 m it was one of the world's highest investment ruins. After 1991, in connection with the collapse of the Soviet Union, funds ran out and the tower was stopped at 220 m. The tower was blown up in 2018. |
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Müggelberge TV tower |
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Müggelberge , Koepenick Berlin![]() |
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Tower planned in 1952, now only 31 m high. Originally supposed to be the Berlin TV tower . Abandoned because it threatens to endanger flight safety due to its intended 130 m height on the edge of the approach lane of the Schönefeld flight operations |
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Belgorod TV tower |
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Belgorod Russian SFSR Belgorod Oblast![]() ![]() |
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The 221 m high construction began in 1996, but was suspended in 2000. Commissioning 2013. |
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Germany transmitter III |
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Herzberg (Elster) Brandenburg![]() |
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In 1939 the 337 m high long-wave radio transmitter went into operation with plans to expand, dismantled after bomb damage in 1946/47 |
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Wardenclyffe Tower |
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Shoreham , Long Island New York![]() |
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According to Nikola Tesla's plan from 1898, the tower was built on Long Island from 1901. The project did not live up to expectations and the tower was blown up in 1917. |
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Galitsch transmitter |
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at Galitsch Russian SFSR Kostroma Oblast![]() ![]() |
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Unfinished transmission system for radio and television programs; highest investment ruin in Europe; Blown up in 2017. |
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Buildings / facilities

In many cases it is unclear whether the planned use will ever be completed or whether the project will finally be abandoned and the building possibly demolished. A typical example are the buildings known colloquially as " soda bridges ". They are just "there" because they currently have no function and cannot be used due to the lack of access. Often they only exist because demolition is uneconomical.
Construction project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |||
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Ryugyŏng Hotel |
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Taebo-dong, Pyongyang |
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Was a construction site between 1992 and 2008. Had it been completed on schedule, it would have been the tallest hotel in the world at the time. Officials do not identify the location of the unfinished hotel. |
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Ford factory |
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Villa de Reyes , San Luis Potosí![]() |
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Ruined car factory. At the initiative of the Trump administration , the billion dollar project was abandoned as a shell in January 2017. Trump threatened high punitive tariffs for imports from Mexico. In the immediate vicinity are z. B. huge works by GM and BMW |
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Sathorn Unique Tower |
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Skyscraper ruins (185 m, 49 floors), now better known as the "Ghost Tower". Construction started in 1990, discontinued in 1997 as shell construction. |
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McCaig's Tower |
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Oban (Argyll and Bute) |
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1897–1904 replica of the Colosseum in Rome that was never completed . The McCaig built it until family members died or became impoverished |
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Neom |
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Tabuk Province |
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A settlement project that has only been presented as propaganda so far, 30 times the size of New York, that others tend to dismiss as a utopia. Preparations are also not visible on site. |
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Masdar |
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Planned, now suspended eco-city construction project that began in February 2008. Financial and structural problems hinder completion. |
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New capital of Egypt |
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Construction of a new government city 50 km southeast of Cairo, total area ≈700 km², ≈5 million inhabitants, should be occupied from 2020. So far insufficient construction progress, more like a Potemkin village . Important investors have already jumped off and the capital city function is not recognizable. |
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Visions
Many projects do not reach the construction phase and are stopped or discarded during or after planning. Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned several designs for Falkenstein Castle , the fourth plan being very different from the first. The first two drafts were rejected, one for cost reasons, the other because Ludwig did not like the draft. The third builder withdrew from the project, the fourth and final plan was completed and some preparations for the site began. Ludwig died before the construction work began.
The Palace of Whitehall , in its time the largest palace in Europe was in 1698 largely destroyed by fire. Sir Christopher Wren , best known for his role in rebuilding several churches after the Great Fire of London in 1666, designed a proposed replacement for part of the palace, but financial constraints prevented construction.
Even without building, many architectural designs and ideas have left a lasting influence. The Russian Constructivism movement began in 1914 and was taught at the Bauhaus and other architecture schools, which resulted in numerous architects incorporating it into their style.
Further examples
Time and again there were and are sensational projects in which a lot has been invested but which were not completed as planned or which never got out of a planning phase.
Projects never started
Project | ![]() |
in | country | Remarks | |||
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Big hall |
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Architectural concept of Adolf Hitler , in which he fantasized about gigantic architectural projects for the conversion of Berlin to the "world capital Germania". The "Hall of Fame" should offer space for up to 180,000 visitors. With the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, the project was stopped. |
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High altitude wind power plants | Engineer Hermann Honnef planned gigantic wind turbines in the 1930s . 900 of these at least 430 m high steel girder structures with several turbines rotating in opposite directions were supposed to provide enough electricity for all factories and households in the empire. |
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Cenotaph for Sir Isaac Newton |
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Impressive design of a cenotaph for Isaac Newton , which Étienne-Louis Boullée planned as a sphere 150 meters high in 1784. |
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London Millennium Tower |
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A high-rise idea on the site of the former Baltic Exchange , which was destroyed by an IRA bomb explosion. With 386 m; In 1996 it was to become the highest in Europe with 92 floors. Instead, The Gherkin (180 m) was built there in 2001-04 . |
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The Illinois |
Chicago Illinois![]() |
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Frank Lloyd Wright designed a skyscraper with 528 floors in 1956, height: 1 mi = 5,280 ft = 1,610 m |
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Nobel Palace |
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Östermalm , Stockholm Stockholm County![]() |
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The Nobel Palace was designed down to the smallest detail by the architect Ferdinand Boberg between 1906 and 1911 , but was never built. |
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Palace of the Soviets |
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Discontinued construction project by the Soviet government in the 1930s. At 415 meters, it would have been the tallest building in the world. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior now stands there |
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Monument to the Third International |
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Petrograd | Often referred to as the Tatlin Tower after the artist , a 400 m high project of which only one model was implemented in 1920. |
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Sky city 1000 |
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The project planned in 1989 is a 1,000 m high and 400 m wide building with a usable area of 8 km², 36,000 residents and 100,000 jobs | |
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X-Seed 4000 |
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Tokyo Bay Tokyo![]() |
Visionary skyscraper design from 1980 for living, working and leisure of one million people on 800 floors with 4,000 meters. |
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Ville Contemporaine |
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An unrealized, utopian settlement planned in 1922 to house three million inhabitants and designed by Le Corbusier . |
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Arcology | Visionary city designed from a single complex of buildings as a unity of architecture and ecology. |
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See also
Notes and sources
- ↑ North Korea's 'Hotel of Doom' to finally open: top 5 incomplete buildings. In: telegraph.co.uk. October 10, 2011, accessed June 17, 2020 .
- ^ Samuel Medina: See How La Sagrada Família Will Progress in 2015. In: metropolismag.com. March 9, 2017, accessed June 17, 2020 .
- ↑ Barcelona Information
- ↑ UNESCO - World Heritage Unesco World Heritage Center: Cologne Cathedral. In: whc.unesco.org. March 22, 2013, accessed June 17, 2020 .
- ^ "Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ", the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster and the main Catholic church for England and Wales
- ↑ Hriner Schmidt: The high-rise from Stotel. In: Hamburger Abendblatt . April 9, 1999, accessed June 29, 2020 .
-
^ Woodchester Mansion. In: woodchestermansion.org.uk. Retrieved July 4, 2020 . Woodchester Park. In: nationaltrust.org.uk. February 14, 2003, accessed July 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Palácio da Ajuda vai ser concluído 222 anos depois do início das obras. In: expresso.pt. September 19, 2016, accessed July 4, 2020 (Portuguese).
-
↑ Runaway: Monte Palace: Royal prospects and bitter insights. In: ausreisserin.de. August 26, 2018, accessed June 30, 2020 . Azorean Palace in the Clouds. In: sometimes-interesting.com. January 14, 2018, accessed June 30, 2020 .
-
↑ Would you buy a 175,000sq foot 130 room Oceanfront hotel in Nova Scotia for $ 500k or this 1,000sq 2-br “knockdown” shack in Vancouver for 2.4Million. In: realestateleads.ca. September 20, 2016, accessed June 18, 2020 . Abandoned resort razed after sitting empty for decades. In: pressreader.com. January 30, 2016, accessed June 18, 2020 . Melanie Patten, The Canadian Press: Abandoned NS resort razed after sitting empty for decades. In: torontosun.com. January 29, 2016, accessed June 18, 2020 .
- ^ Postcards from Bulgaria. In: nomadness.benlo.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Радио и телевизия в Каварн. In: predavatel.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020 (Bulgarian).
- ↑ a b c d e f g Only construction projects that are of national importance from a European perspective are listed here
- ↑ Dirk Becker: Elster-Saale-Kanal 1926-1943. In: saaleelsterkanal.de. July 11, 1933, accessed June 29, 2020 .
- ^ Peter Neumann: Warschauer Strasse S-Bahn station will remain a construction site for months. In: Berliner Zeitung . July 16, 2020, accessed July 18, 2020 .
- ↑ Montreal's unfinished bus terminal open for business. In: montreal.ctvnews.ca. December 8, 2011, accessed June 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Kurt Frey: Inland waters in Belarus: waterways in the Beresina canal system. In: all european waterways . Retrieved June 29, 2020 .
- ^ Taiwan News: Phase of legal battle ends for Taipei Dome construction project. A final court decision rejects the Farglory Group's appeal against the suspension order. In: taiwannews.com.tw. May 1, 2019, accessed June 21, 2020 .
- ↑ Unfinished Chimney of Boilerhouse, Kramatorsk. In: skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020 .
- ^ South Stream - Reliable Energy for the Future. In: south-stream-transport.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020 .
-
↑ В Белгороде открыта новая & #. In: belnovosti.ru. March 1, 2016, accessed June 23, 2020 (Russian). Belgorod TV Tower. In: griven-usa.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020 (English). Belgorod TV Tower. In: skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020 (English). Fab: Belgorod TV Tower (Google Maps). In: virtualglobetrotting.com. January 20, 2020, accessed on June 23, 2020 . Новая белгородская телев. In: mirbelogorya.ru. August 13, 2013, accessed June 23, 2020 (Russian). Праздник света: Белгородс. In: sanchess-city31.livejournal.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020 (Russian).
-
↑ Снос мачты А330 под Галичем. Вид с трёх камер. on YouTube , from 09.06.2017
Вышка А330 в Галиче: 350 метров, ко. In: lifekostroma.ru. Retrieved June 23, 2020 (Russian). Ascending 350-Meters High TV Tower - English Russia. In: englishrussia.com. November 17, 2010, accessed June 23, 2020 . LBA-2009 - 350 метров счастья, подъем. In: russos.livejournal.com. October 14, 2009, Retrieved June 23, 2020 (Russian).
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↑ Rick Edmondson: Unfinished Buildings - Ford Plant, Villa de Reyes. In: unfinishedbuildings.org. Retrieved July 1, 2020 . Carrie Kahn: Canceled Ford Plant Adds To Mexico's Economic Frustrations. In: npr.org. January 5, 2017, accessed July 1, 2020 . Reuters : Concern grows in Mexico, home to now empty Ford plant. In: straitstimes.com. January 12, 2017, accessed July 1, 2020 . Reuters: Ford is planning turns 'cemetery' as Trump wrenches Mexican autos. In: arabnews.com. January 7, 2017, accessed July 1, 2020 .
-
↑ An Accelerator of Human Progress. In: neom.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020 . Neom in Saudi Arabia: How Mohammed bin Salman Intimidates Critics In: Spiegel Online . June 22, 2020, accessed July 1, 2020 .
- ^ The Capital Egypt. In: acud.eg. Accessed July 1, 2020 (rundi).
- ↑ Martin Pfaffenzeller: Wind power in the "Third Reich". The dream of the Reich Power Tower. In: Spiegel Online . June 29, 2020, accessed July 7, 2020 .
- ↑ ArchDaily: AD Classics: Cenotaph for Newton / Etienne-Louis Boullée. In: ArchDaily . November 6, 2018, accessed June 19, 2020 .
- ^ London Millennium Tower. (jpg) In: skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved June 19, 2020 (English).
-
^ The Illinois, Chicago. In: skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved June 19, 2020 . Picture of the project. (jpg) In: i.pinimg.com. Retrieved June 19, 2020 . A Peaceful Day in BroadAcre City - One Mile High - Frank Lloyd Wright. (Video) In: dailymotion.com. June 18, 2020, accessed June 19, 2020 .
-
↑ Tatlin Tower. In: exponatbau.de. Retrieved June 19, 2020 . Nikolai Nikolajewitsch Punin: The monument of the III. International. A project by the artist WJ Tatlin. In: salmoxisbote.de. Retrieved June 19, 2020 . The III. International and the Palace of the Soviets. (PDF) Architectural Utopias in the Soviet Union from the Revolution to Early Stalinism. In: Winckelmann Academy. Retrieved June 19, 2020 .
- ↑ Sky City 1000, Tokyo. In: skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved June 19, 2020 .
-
^ Claudio Altenhain: Le Corbusier revisited: The "ville contemporaine" and its possible contribution to a "history of the present". In: commonthejournal.com. June 6, 2014, accessed June 23, 2020 . Fondation Le Corbusier ', myPageTitle,'. In: fondationlecorbusier.fr. Retrieved June 23, 2020 (English). Ville Contemporaine. In: architectuul.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020 (English).
-
↑ Arcology. In: arcology.com. Retrieved June 23, 2020 . Video on YouTube
Web links
- Rick Edmondson: Rick Edmondson's Unfinished Buildings. In: unfinishedbuildings.org. Retrieved July 1, 2020 .
- Steven Jukes: Pathetic Motorways. In: pathetic.org.uk. October 26, 2019, accessed on July 1, 2020 .