Brits name their modern wonders of the world, including the Channel Tunnel, the Burj Khalifa – and the internet

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Brits have named their modern wonders of the world, including the Channel Tunnel, Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper – and the internet.

The International Space Station also ranked highly in the poll of 2,000 adults, alongside Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

It also emerged a quarter are more blown away by modern feats of engineering than those of the past.

Although 79 per cent weren’t aware of ‘The Line’, the ambitious project in Saudi Arabia to create an entire indoor city of the future – but of those that were, 36 per cent reckoned it’d trump all else.

The research was commissioned by National Geographic ahead to launch Building Impossible with Daniel Ashville, a six-part series starting 14th September at 8pm, which explores ground-breaking projects currently under construction.

Daniel, who has built his own construction empire from scratch, said: “There are incredible feats of engineering sprinkled across the globe and it seems inbuilt in humanity to never stop evolving and developing such creations.

“The research is a celebration of these incredible creations and the wonder they can bring to those who are lucky enough to witness them with their own eyes.

“But it doesn’t stop, as we speak there are people putting work into pushing the boundaries further than ever before with new feats of engineering.”

Following the findings, a quiz has been created testing your knowledge of extreme engineering feats.

The survey also found uniqueness, how much of an engineering marvel it is and the innovation that’s involved are the key elements that would make something worthy of being considered a modern wonder.

And 40 per cent think it’s time for a new list of modern wonders of the world – with nine being seen as the ideal number.

Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris were the most visited iconic locations, followed by the colosseum in Rome, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia and the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

When deciding which impressive sights are worth visiting, family and friends, TV shows and Google were the most common sources of inspiration.

Looking to the future, modern feats of engineering respondents would like to see included zero waste communities, smart eco-cities and sky gardens and farms.

However, in the present, 62 per cent find it ‘mind bending’ at times thinking about how some modern buildings have been built.

And one in six come up with their own theories on how they were created, according to the OnePoll data.

Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China and the pyramid of Giza were the creations that left respondents most baffled.

It also emerged 59 per cent reckon it’s crucial for the UK to continue constructing remarkable buildings and landmarks that solidify the country's significance on the global map.

Building Impossible with Daniel Ashville takes viewers on an exploration of the world's most extraordinary and precarious builds - from the construction of the larg

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Transcript
00:00 For decades, we've been fascinated by the ancient wonders of the world.
00:05 From the pyramids to the lighthouse of Alexandria.
00:09 But what are the modern day wonders and why?
00:12 The Burj Khalifa?
00:13 The Channel Tunnel?
00:14 Or maybe even the Shard here in London?
00:16 Well, the nation has spoken.
00:18 Let's find out what's your modern wonder.
00:23 The Great Wall of China.
00:25 International Space Station.
00:27 The Internet.
00:28 Panama Canal.
00:29 Golden Gate Bridge.
00:30 What is your modern wonder and why?
00:32 I do like Burj Khalifa because it's the highest tower in all.
00:35 They took a lot of time and money investment and it's a very expensive building to enter
00:38 as well.
00:39 Do any modern wonders stick out in your mind?
00:41 The Bay Heights in New Zealand.
00:43 Very unique building.
00:44 It is very unique.
00:45 Very weird looking, but definitely new.
00:46 Can you think of any modern wonders?
00:48 Definitely the Internet because you can find anything at the touch of a button.
00:52 I think the Internet is the most like wonders you can represent because it has changed the
00:56 entire world.
00:57 How we move and how we function, how we dream at all at the same time.
01:00 So why do you think we are so interested in architecture and engineering?
01:05 I mean, it's just the awe.
01:06 It gives you an idea of what humanity is capable of when we work together towards a vision.
01:11 Architecture is all about how we step up comfort zone as well because it represents you need
01:15 to have big brains.
01:16 You can come up with something groundbreaking, something that for generations we can see
01:20 and say, "Wow."
01:21 So there you have it.
01:23 Fascinated by engineering, which pushes boundaries, that puts new modern wonders on the map.
01:30 I'm about to check this one out.
01:31 (upbeat music)
01:34 (upbeat music)

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