Top 10 CRAZY Expensive Buildings in the World
These builders were crazy expensive! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most interesting and exciting buildings that broke the bank.
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00:00 Even Vegas has never seen anything like it.
00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be looking at the most interesting and exciting buildings that broke the bank.
00:08 Big or small, these structures could be towers or multi-purpose buildings of any kind.
00:13 The faces are 35 times larger than Big Ben.
00:16 Number 10. Apple Park, Cupertino, California, USA.
00:21 In 2017, Apple Inc. opened their monolithic headquarters, Apple Park, in Cupertino, California.
00:28 The massive, ring-shaped building is now an iconic symbol of the Apple brand,
00:32 and is a fantastic testament to the company's dedication to effortless design, sustainability, and the future of technology.
00:38 At $5 billion, the price tag covers research space, a huge auditorium, a wellness center, and a natural courtyard.
00:45 For all intents and purposes, this office is so fully loaded that an employee could do everything here except stay the night.
00:51 Despite its nickname, "The Spaceship," this massive ring won't blast off anytime soon.
00:55 The main ring is one of the few buildings in the U.S. and the world to make use of base isolation,
01:00 which protects the ring from even the worst of Californian earthquakes.
01:04 Forgoing the usual stuffy office complex, Apple Park functions as part workspace, part nature reserve.
01:09 The company devotes the hollowed-out interior space to orchards, gardens, and a variety of plant life.
01:15 Originally proposed by Steve Jobs before his death, Apple Park represents the next evolution of modern office buildings.
01:21 - Thank you very much. - Let's give a big round of applause for Mr. Steve Jobs.
01:24 Number 9, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
01:27 Designed by Moshe Safdie, this elegant Singapore resort features a prominent sky park that connects three towers.
01:33 We always worked with models.
01:35 There was this big chunk of balsa wood, just the right size, and I placed it on the roof and said, "Why don't we try doing it up there?"
01:42 Owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the company dropped a whopping $6.88 billion on the resort.
01:48 With over 2,500 rooms, the resort's luxury hotel makes a regular hotel look like a dollhouse.
01:54 Opened in 2010, the integrated resort contains a huge casino and numerous celebrity chef restaurants.
01:59 From the infinity swimming pool to a shopping mall, Marina Bay Sands delivers an endless treasure trove of attractions that boost the already incomprehensible budget.
02:07 Right behind our hotel, right here, is a place called Gardens by the Bay.
02:12 And every single night, they have this miraculous light show.
02:16 If that doesn't sound exhausting, there's also a museum and an indoor skating rink.
02:20 To top it all off, there's potential plans for Marina Bay Sands to build yet another tower.
02:25 To experience this hotel at least once in my life and swim in that pool was an experience of a lifetime.
02:32 Number 8, Sophie Stadium, Inglewood, California, USA.
02:36 Home to both Los Angeles football teams, Sophie Stadium symbolizes a whole new era for sports and entertainment facilities in America.
02:43 The stadium itself will act as the centerpiece of a huge entertainment, retail, commercial, and residential development that sprawls across nearly 300 acres of pristine landscape.
02:52 It's only fair that billions of dollars be spent on state-of-the-art technology, but the most essential of public services, football.
02:59 Both the Chargers and the Rams call this $5 billion field their home, which has a seating capacity of over 100,000, depending on the event size.
03:07 The Sophie Stadium has set a new standard for the world of sports stadiums.
03:11 Instead of a typical jumbotron, Sophie Stadium fitted a Samsung-designed infinity screen over the field in a unique ovular design.
03:19 If you can't stand football, the greater Sophie complex also houses the YouTube Theater concert venue.
03:24 A sleek and intimate new venue capable of hosting anything from concerts and award shows to e-sports competitions and special events.
03:32 Opening in 2020, it is considered the most expensive stadium of its kind.
03:36 Number 7, Zeljava Air Base, Zeljava, Croatia.
03:40 At $6 billion, this underground air base rests on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia.
03:46 This photo shows the massive underground airport, which held Air Force hangars and military barracks.
03:51 Built underneath a mountain with special reinforcements, this Cold War artifact was designed to withstand a nuclear blast.
03:57 Its two-decade-long construction ended in 1968, at which point the area base was under Yugoslavian military control.
04:03 With a total cost of around $6 billion, it was one of the most extensive and expensive military structures the world had seen at the time.
04:09 Before its demolition in 1992, this secret base made even Bond villains jealous.
04:14 During its heyday, Zeljava Air Base housed fighter aircraft squadrons and used five runways.
04:19 It contained tunnels stretching for a combined 3.5 kilometers, which were not used for elaborate hide-and-seek games.
04:25 These tunnels could house up to two complete fighter squadrons, including one for reconnaissance missions and full maintenance and mechanical upkeep facilities.
04:32 Needless to say, it remains the highest-priced military installation of its era.
04:36 Number 6 - Mohovce Nuclear Power Plant, Slovakia
04:40 As you might have guessed, nuclear power costs a lot of money.
04:43 It's facilities such as Mohovce that prove that notion, and then some, with a price tag in the neighborhood of $7.6 billion.
04:50 "Mohovce is one of the most stunning nuclear plants because of the eight giant cooling towers as you approach it."
04:58 This Slovakian powerhouse functions with two reactors, and has two more on the way.
05:03 In a plan dating back to the 1970s, then-Czechoslovakian officials began initial construction on two reactors in the 1980s.
05:10 After the country split in two, the project was finished by the end of the 1990s.
05:14 "I am sure that the nuclear power station in Mohovce is a good investment for Slovakia."
05:22 "And everybody in Slovakia knows that the government spent a lot of money for this power station."
05:28 Mohovce powers 20% of Slovakia, or 6,922 gigawatts an hour, if you can even fathom that.
05:35 While there are safety concerns for nuclear power plants, the plant's enormously priced reactors shift the focus away from traditional carbon emissions.
05:42 Number 5 - Okiliuoto 3, Okiliuoto Island, Finland
05:46 Named for the Finnish island it was built upon, Okiliuoto 3 is a nuclear power plant with three reactors.
05:51 "Reactor Okiliuoto 3, known as OL3 for short, will generate around 1600 megawatts of energy."
05:58 Sitting on the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Bothnia, this is an unlikely but essential part of the western Finnish skyline.
06:04 While the plant wouldn't be considered a vacation spot, at the very least, it has a beautiful view of the coast.
06:10 Due to the delays with the third reactor's operation status and a fourth reactor on the docket,
06:14 this power plant's extended budget of 12.4 billion dollars might be only a temporary estimate.
06:19 Currently, the reactors encompass 22% of Finland's energy supplies.
06:23 If all goes well with the additional reactors, a nuclear power plant will somehow make the happiest nation on Earth even happier.
06:30 Finland looks set to play a leading role in the widespread adoption of nuclear technology as the world continues to transition away from fossil fuels.
06:38 Number 4 - Abraj Albeit, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
06:41 Located near the Great Mosque, this hotel complex cost a whopping 16 billion dollars.
06:46 Along with highly rated hotels, the complex features a central clock tower which functions as the tallest building in Saudi Arabia.
06:53 The clock tower, built in the center of the sacred site, was designed by a team of leading German and Swiss engineers, and breaks over 30 world records.
07:01 One hotel might sound like enough, but Abraj Albeit goes the extra mile with a total of 7.
07:07 Considering its location, this serves as a main site for Muslim pilgrims to stay during their journey to Mecca.
07:12 The prayer room of Makka Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont hotel, provides unique views for your spiritual experience.
07:20 If you find yourself lost in the gargantuan building, the complex also houses a 5-story shopping mall for your entertainment.
07:25 As an essential part of Mecca tourism, Abraj Albeit's practicalities far outweigh its extravagance.
07:31 Number 3 - Flamanville 3, Flamanville, France
07:34 At 21.9 billion dollars, Flamanville 3 exists as one of the costliest nuclear power plants in the world.
07:41 So we're starting off here in France where a long-delayed nuclear project in the west of the country may finally see the light of day.
07:47 Due to considerable delays, the project far exceeded its initial estimates.
07:51 If there's one tradition Flamanville carries on about power plants, it's that they never come in under budget.
07:57 On the northern coast of France, this facility hopes to achieve a completely operational status by 2024.
08:03 After mishaps such as a 2017 explosion, further investigations continue to hinder the project.
08:08 Five people were apparently treated for smoke inhalation, but nobody was seriously injured in the incident.
08:14 Barbara Pompili, France's energy minister, expressed her own concerns about Flamanville's over-budgeted and underestimated end goals.
08:21 With any luck, the plant's vast expenses will deliver huge dividends before the sun burns out.
08:26 Number 2 - ITER, Saint-Paul-l'Estaurance, France
08:37 ITER stems from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, so be thankful that humanity crafted acronyms.
08:44 ITER, the world's largest tokamak, will demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power.
08:51 As the culmination of decades-long talks, the ITER represents the cutting edge of fusion energy research facilities.
08:58 In an attempt to replicate the sun's energy, the ITER functions on a whole other level from a power plant or another scientific building.
09:04 The time has come to put the world's largest puzzle together.
09:08 Naturally, this kind of project involves loads of super complicated science stuff that elevates the price to $25 billion.
09:15 However, they'll have to wait until 2025 to determine the true viability of the building.
09:19 It might not be as extravagant as a resort, but the ITER facility might revolutionize the future of energy usage forever.
09:26 The world will be watching as decades of planning come to fruition,
09:30 and the ITER tokamak is assembled from components shipped from all around the world by the seven ITER members.
09:37 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:40 The Shard, London, England.
09:42 A pyramidal tower in Neo-Futurist style that towers over London at $3.9 billion.
09:48 Towering above London Bridge Station, it's the tallest building in Western Europe.
09:52 [choir singing]
09:54 We're going up the Shard.
09:55 Antilia, Mumbai, India.
09:57 Located in Mumbai, this is the costliest private residence on Earth at $2.6 billion.
10:03 It also has a 168-vehicle multi-level car parking lot, three helipads, a 50-person movie theater,
10:10 and a ballroom complete with crystal chandeliers.
10:13 Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.
10:16 A seven-hotel resort and casino estimated at $4 to $5 billion.
10:21 Housing four amazing attractions, hotels, and dining options all under one roof, this does sound like a dream.
10:27 One World Trade Center, New York City, USA.
10:30 At $3.8 billion, this NYC tower is the tallest building in the United States.
10:35 As that building opens its doors this morning, the first tenants are moving into the tallest and most expensive building in the Western Hemisphere.
10:43 Lot World Tower, Seoul, South Korea.
10:45 The tallest skyscraper in South Korea tops out at just over $3 billion.
10:50 The tower became one of the most visited tourist destinations and a symbol of the country's economic growth.
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11:12 Number 1. Masjid Al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
11:17 Not only is Masjid Al-Haram astronomically expensive, it's home to the holiest site in the Muslim world.
11:23 Located in Mecca, the building's $100 billion plus price tag puts any power plant or hotel resort to shame.
11:30 The Masjid Al-Haram is a sprawling complex that encompasses 356,000 square meters, that's 3.8 million square feet,
11:37 making it half the size of the enormous Forbidden City in Beijing.
11:41 Also known as the Great Mosque, the site welcomes millions of Muslim visitors making their pilgrimage.
11:46 While the many expansions and renovations raise the budget, the building also continues a priceless history that dates back to the 7th century.
11:53 However, the first structure on the site was a wall built around the Qala in 638 AD.
11:58 After all, there's a reason that the name Mecca inspired the noun for a revered and essential location.
12:04 Considering its age and religious precedence, it's easy to see why Masjid Al-Haram racks up the highest building appraisal on the planet.
12:11 And yet it's one of those places that, even just through images and video, you can see why it pulls millions of people to it every single year.
12:18 Did we forget one of your favorite buildings? Let us know in the comments below.
12:22 A lot of our overhead is tied up in the fact that we are on the top floor of a very expensive building.
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12:34 [Music - Board Game Boogie by Ryan Henson Creighton]