Photos show 13 iconic landmarks as they were being constructed

Zoë Miller,Melissa Wells,Talia LakritzJun 18, 2024, 03:37 IST

Mount Rushmore under construction.Bettman/Getty Images

Building landmarks like the Statue of Liberty involved huge feats of engineering.
It took 14 years for the Sydney Opera House to be completed.

We know what famous landmarks look like today, but iconic structures like the Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House looked a bit different while they were being assembled.

While it only took a handful of months for Argentinians to erect the 221-foot Obelisco de Buenos Aires, which was built in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the city's founding, other famous landmarks took longer.

The Sydney Opera House — whose iconic "shells" are covered in one million tiles and were built using cranes designed for the job — took 14 years and AU$ 102 million to complete, just in time for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Australia in 1973.

Meanwhile, Antoni Gaudí's famous Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain, which features 18 ornate towers, stained-glass windows, and numerous ruled surfaces, has been a work in progress since 1882.

Here are photos that show the construction of monuments in cities around the world — and the end result.

The construction of the Eiffel Tower began in Paris in 1887, in advance of the 1889 World's Fair.

The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889.Roger Viollet/Getty Images

When it was built, the Eiffel Tower — which measures 1,063 feet — was the tallest building in the world.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.Nikada/Getty Images

Today, the world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Burj Khalifa construction site in 2005.Chris Jackson/Getty Images

It's also currently the tallest free-standing structure of any kind.

Dubai's Burj Khalifa.Matthias Seifert/Reuters

The Statue of Liberty, erected in 1886, was a gift from France. The parts were made in Paris before they were shipped to the US.

Construction of the Statue of Liberty's hand, circa 1883.Bettmann/Getty Images

The statue, which measures 305 feet from her toe to her torch, was the tallest iron structure ever built when she was completed.

The Statue of Liberty during construction.Horace Abrahams/Getty Images

The statue, which is on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, stands as a symbol of freedom.

Front view of the Statue of Liberty, New York.Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Images

The construction of the Sydney Opera House, which was completed in 1973, took 14 years and involved 10,000 workers.

Sydney Opera House construction circa 1963.J. R. T. Richardson/Getty Images

In 2007, the opera house was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Sydney Opera House at night.Taras Vyshnya/Shutterstock

The Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, was designed to connect northern California to the San Francisco Peninsula.

Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge with the roadbed being installed, San Francisco, California, 1937.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

It is painted a custom-made color called "International Orange."

Aerial view of traffic moving on Golden Gate Bridge during sunset, San Francisco, California.simonkr/Getty Images

Before London's Tower Bridge was built in 1894, pedestrians had to cross the Thames river via tunnel.

Construction on the Tower Bridge, which took eight years to complete, began in 1886.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Today, more than 40,000 people cross the bridge every day.

The Tower Bridge at night.Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images News

The construction of Barcelona's Sagrada Família, designed by Antoni Gaudí, began in 1882 — and it's still not done.

Gaudí's Sagrada Família, circa 1940.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

It is expected to be completed by 2026, just in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death.

The interior of la Sagrada Família.David Ramos/Getty Images

The Gateway of India in Mumbai, constructed to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, was completed in 1924.

View of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, circa 1930.The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images

Today, the Gateway of India is a major tourist attraction.

Gateway of India is in the Heart of Mumbai's tourist district and is the city's most famous landmark.Danny Lehman/Getty Images

Erected in 1936, the Obelisco de Buenos Aires was built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city.

A view of the Obelisco de Buenos Aires in the Plaza de la Republica in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Situated in Buenos Aires' theater district at the intersection of two major thoroughfares, the monument is a popular gathering place for national celebrations.

Argentine soccer fans at the Obelisco during the 2004 World Cup.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Mount Rushmore's symbolic tribute to US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln was seen as both patriotic and controversial.

Lincoln's head under construction on Mount Rushmore.Bettmann/Getty Images

Mount Rushmore's symbolic tribute to US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln was seen as both patriotic and controversial.

It took 400 workers 14 years to complete Mount Rushmore, and it was finished on October 31, 1941.

Close-up view of Mount Rushmore.blackestockphoto/Getty Images

Situated between 33rd and 34th streets on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, the Empire State Building was the world's first building to exceed 100 stories.

Aerial photo of the Empire State Building under construction, circa 1930.Bettmann/Getty Images

The Empire State Building, an icon of New York City, is the most photographed building in the world.

New York cityscape seen from above with the Empire State Building in view.Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Initially known as the Boulder Dam during its five-year construction, Hoover Dam would become the highest dam in the world at the time.

Aerial view of the construction of the Boulder Dam, renamed the Hoover Dam in 1947, shortly before its completion.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Hoover Dam holds the US' largest man-made lake by volume, when full.

Hoover Dam.Mark Newman/Getty Images

The famous Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles was built in 1923 as an advertisement for a forthcoming real estate development.

A group of surveyors and builders working on the new housing development known as Hollywoodland circa 1925.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The Hollywood Sign became an official landmark in 1973, but was in desperate need of repairs.

Officials paint the Hollywood Sign in 2005.David Livingston/Getty Images

The Hollywood Sign celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.

The Hollywood Sign in California.AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Forget fighting crowds in Paris this summer. My charming Canadian city has plenty of museums, baguettes, and francophones.

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Photos show 13 iconic landmarks as they were being constructed

The construction of the Eiffel Tower began in Paris in 1887, in advance of the 1889 World's Fair.

When it was built, the Eiffel Tower — which measures 1,063 feet — was the tallest building in the world.

Today, the world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

It's also currently the tallest free-standing structure of any kind.

The Statue of Liberty, erected in 1886, was a gift from France. The parts were made in Paris before they were shipped to the US.

The statue, which measures 305 feet from her toe to her torch, was the tallest iron structure ever built when she was completed.

The statue, which is on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, stands as a symbol of freedom.

The construction of the Sydney Opera House, which was completed in 1973, took 14 years and involved 10,000 workers.

In 2007, the opera house was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, was designed to connect northern California to the San Francisco Peninsula.

It is painted a custom-made color called "International Orange."

Before London's Tower Bridge was built in 1894, pedestrians had to cross the Thames river via tunnel.

Today, more than 40,000 people cross the bridge every day.

The construction of Barcelona's Sagrada Família, designed by Antoni Gaudí, began in 1882 — and it's still not done.

It is expected to be completed by 2026, just in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death.

The Gateway of India in Mumbai, constructed to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, was completed in 1924.

Today, the Gateway of India is a major tourist attraction.

Erected in 1936, the Obelisco de Buenos Aires was built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city.

Situated in Buenos Aires' theater district at the intersection of two major thoroughfares, the monument is a popular gathering place for national celebrations.

Mount Rushmore's symbolic tribute to US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln was seen as both patriotic and controversial.

It took 400 workers 14 years to complete Mount Rushmore, and it was finished on October 31, 1941.

Situated between 33rd and 34th streets on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, the Empire State Building was the world's first building to exceed 100 stories.

The Empire State Building, an icon of New York City, is the most photographed building in the world.

Initially known as the Boulder Dam during its five-year construction, Hoover Dam would become the highest dam in the world at the time.

Hoover Dam holds the US' largest man-made lake by volume, when full.

The famous Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles was built in 1923 as an advertisement for a forthcoming real estate development.

The Hollywood Sign became an official landmark in 1973, but was in desperate need of repairs.

The Hollywood Sign celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.