35+ Massive Structures That Remind Us How Small Humans Really Are
If something exists, you can bet that at least one person has a phobia of it. Of course, there are some phobias that are more frequent than others, like arachnophobia, claustrophobia, and trypophobia. There’s one more that you might not be aware you are afraid of: megalophobia.
Does your anxiety skyrocket when you see something that defies your perception of reality? Does looking up at a skyscraper instill more fear than peering down from the Eiffel Tower? Yup, you might have megalophobia. If you’re still uncertain, you can always browse the dedicated subreddit to see if anything makes your hairs stand on end.
For this article, we’ve compiled just a sampling of some of the massive structures that throw our sense of scale completely out of whack. So sit back and relax from the comfort of your own home as we dip our feet in these grand waters.
That Vasa was a real tragedy
When Vasa embarked on its journey, it was the most advanced battleship ever built. Nowadays, it serves as a reference for archaeologists and maritime historians as well as a warning to people who want to create technology. The ship’s demise is documented in detailed antiquity.
In 1628, the Vasa perished twenty minutes after leaving port, despite being among the most impressive battleships ever constructed and a significant accomplishment of the Swedish navy. They should have done more tests to prevent such a loss.
Where the dune sea meets the sea sea
Only the Atacama Desert in western South America can compete with the Namib for antiquity and dry conditions. It withstood arid or semi-arid settings for around 55–80 million years. Namib desert is also home to some of the world’s harshest places on record.
Remarkably, this arid region is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Many of which are unique to this region. Just look at this image – it’s so raw and surreal! Yet it is a very real place on this Earth.
Kneel before the might of Poseidon!
Rafael Alberti, a poet, and the sculptor Luis Arencibia both have eyes that carry the ocean in them. He can explain and trace the genesis of the Atlantic glimmer in his eye. The artist sometimes used to wade out to the volcanic rock tip that protruded over the water.
Situated on the southern side of Melenara Beach in Telde as a little lad (Gran Canaria). This is all a fancy way of saying that the sea influenced the artist. So, he created a giant statue of Poseidon, the god of the oceans, based on that.
Attack of the 21-foot flamingo
The newest attraction in the airport art installations initiative, which also involves requests for photography, statues, artworks, and more, is a 21-foot-tall sculpture that is located in the middle of the main station. The enormous flamingo is intended to be a truly immersive piece.
We really hope they had the resources to finish this massive project. They probably needed a pretty big budget to make this an animatronic. That would definitely add to the shock factor a bit. All in all, it’s a brilliant work of art.
Illuminati confirmed
A person standing on a foggy hilltop with the sun shining from behind their back creates a Brocken specter, which casts an amplified silhouette and a giant halo over the subject and onto dark depths beneath.
When sunlight reaches droplets of water, it causes diffraction. However, this looks like something supernatural that science can’t explain. However, we are happy to know this phenomenon has a name. Can you imagine taking a stroll through the fields only to stumble upon this?!
Brutus in action
This monster of a machine is an electric miner’s shovel named Big Brutus. It used to operate by a three-person team with the assistance of roller operators and electricians. The coal shovel traversed about one square mile yearly while running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Brutus did all this at a rate of .22 miles an hour (just under a quarter mile an hour). Big Brutus didn’t go coal mining. With just one scrape, the enormous pail could load three rail cars by removing the mud and boulders that cover up the coal.
Snake rock
The Phu Langka National Park, which lies inside the Bueng Khong Long Area of the Bueng Kan Region of Thailand, is home to Naka Cave (also known as Naga Cave). The title of the cave, Naka, is Thai for “snake.” And at first glance, you know why.
The surface of several nearby rocks mimics a snake’s scaly hide. One casual look and you will be convinced that these are the petrified remains of a gigantic snake. Actually, these rock formations resemble the serpent’s scaly skin.
Watch your step!
Where lime, chalk rock, salt deposits, or other minerals which can organically be disintegrated by water passing across them are present beneath the surface of the land, sinkholes will undoubtedly start making an appearance. Caverns and subterranean areas grow when the rock disintegrates.
The size of this sinkhole is the stuff nightmares are made of. It’s like a sandworm from Arrakis teleported here and went to work on the soft bedrock. If you peer down and hear a call, do not answer because it might be the call of the abyss.
The vastness of the Pacific
The deepest, as well as the largest ocean basin in this world is the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean basin covers an area far too large to comprehend, covering around 63 million square miles as well as holding upwards of half of the planet’s water.
The Pacific basin could accommodate every landmass on Earth. That’s mind-bogglingly colossal. We search for extra-terrestrial life in the stars when the oceans themselves hold more secrets than we humans can comprehend. The question is, should those secrets be unearthed?
Dream highway
There is no shame in admitting that we are suckers when it comes to road trips. If the road trip ends at a destination like this, well, mark us present. This is the kind of view that belongs on travel magazine covers.
Iceland may be a land of volcanoes, but this unique geological arrangement has given rise to breathtaking spectacles such as this. There is beauty everywhere, some obvious and some subtle. We have to say, though, that we would love to see this with our own eyes.
Cue Jaws theme
Now, would you look at that! It looks like a sea monster is slithering through this enormous wall of water or this perfect wave. Or it could be a part of the world serpent, Jormungandr from Norse mythology. Remember God of War?
As mentioned in a previous post, the secrets our oceans hold cannot be quantified. Well, not by the human mind, anyway. The day the oceans give way to their secrets will be the day we truly find out our positions in history and future.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s skeletor!
We have many reasons to fear technology. At the same, when we see things like this, we find reasons to adore technology. At the end of the day, unless technology becomes sentient, what we choose to do with it is ultimately up to the individual.
Breaking a bit away from the philosophy, one can’t help but admire the beauty of this drone art. The placement of the drones creates what looks like a day of the dead celebration piece. The 3D look really does wonders!
The biggest there was, is, and hopefully, will be
The largest living animal to ever exist on Earth, along with all dinosaurs, is indeed the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Even at the time of conception, it’s bigger than full-grown adults. Think about walking the distance of three football fields – that’s about how long a whale is.
They are enormous, which is an understatement. The longest whale ever recorded was a majestic 108 feet (33 meters) long, with most measuring 80 around 100 feet (24 to 30 meters). Its tongue weighs as much as an elephant, and its heart is about the same size as a love bug (Volkswagen beetle).
Salon de Giant
Wait a darn minute! Is that a human giving a facial treatment to what seems like a giant? It is! One nostril on that thing has enough space for her head to fit inside. This must be a salon that caters to giants!
Otherwise, there is no way that she can maintain that level of proximity. Or maybe she can because this is a larger-than-life creation by the Weta studio, who were behind the props for the legendary Lord of the Rings movie series.
To infinity and beyond!
What you see here is the border between the nations of Finland and Norway. The three nations that border Finland are Sweden, Norway, and Russia. The northernmost boundary is the 736-kilometer-long Norwegian border. The Tenojoki River and its feeder, the Inarijoki River, follow after.
The border spans a substantial portion of uninhabited terrain. There seem to be six roadway crossing points, with Näätämö being the furthest east and Kilpisjärvi being the most far west and north, respectively. We leave it to the seasoned and experienced to explore this kind of terrain.
The true size of a ship’s propeller
Among the biggest ship propellers that exist are likely found on cargo vessels. One measures 9.1 meters in diameter, has a six-bladed propeller, and weighs 101.5 tons. It is a strong contender for the largest ship propeller in the world because of its sheer size.
It is comparable to that of a three-story structure. Engineers must build them with such dimensions because we assume you guys do have an idea of how big commercial liners can get. Moving tens of thousands of tons of goods requires all the raw power available.
The OG “The Rock” – St. Peter
The entire structure is truly a masterpiece when you take a pause to admire it. In the context of history, architecture, and art, there is nothing in the entire world, maybe the known universe, like this mega structure. It’s a pinnacle of human creativity.
Plus, the fact that the grave of St. Peter is situated beneath the basilica makes it even more grand. Like it was foretold, the catholic church was constructed as a symbol of his influence. Like his namesake, he became the very rock, the foundation itself.
Paul Bunyan’s chest of drawers
This beautifully renovated 19th-century chest of drawers, which in 1926 was named the Bureau of Information, is indeed the “World’s Largest Chest of Drawers.” This was constructed to draw more attention to High Point as one of the world’s furniture capital.
This structure is 36 feet tall. Two enormous socks were hung from the chests to honor the local hosiery industries. At first glance, you may mistake this beauty for the drawers belonging to Paul Bunyan. Well, you are not that far off.
Belly of an iceberg
Since snow is compact and reflects all visible light frequencies, icebergs are typically white. Nevertheless, the spaces between snowflakes vanish and take these equally reflecting areas with them when strong forces crush the snow and the seawater freezes. Nature is something else.
Red and yellow light have long wavelengths, which are captured by the ice, while blue light is reflected. The dispersed light that is reflected provides the bluish hue we identify with pure water. Do you see the scuba diver underneath the iceberg in the photo? How’s that for scale!
The innards of a wind turbine
The base, nacelle, tower, and rotor seem to be the four major components of a wind turbine. The tower links everything, while the base supports the wind turbine. It is utilized to ascend toward the tower’s summit as these technicians did.
It’s attached to the nacelle as well as the rotor. Unlike some towers, some possess ladders that make the ascent to the summit easier. We wish these were more funded, which could really bring forth a renewable energy revolution and hopefully a longer future!
How is this possible?
A massive boulder measuring 20 feet in height and five meters wide rests atop a slick hillside with a foundation of little less than four feet. Since butter is Krishna’s favorite snack, there is a myth that butter really comes down from heaven. Don’t worry. We have a point.
It’s known as Krishna’s butterball. In Tamil, it is also referred to as “Vaanirai Kal,” which means “Stone of the Sky God.” It acts like it is glued or fastened in place because there is no way it could stand idle if it weren’t. We guess certain things defy rational explanations.
Bigger, larger, better?
In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a hotel called Abraj Kudai is currently under construction. The hotel was initially scheduled to unveil in 2017. However, because of financial troubles, it was put on hold in 2015. The hotel is still accessible to the public.
This will be the most colossal hotel in the world when it is finally finished, with a ring of 12 buildings, each 45 floors tall, 10,000 guestrooms, 70 restaurants, and four helicopter landing pads on the multiple rooftops.
Moon base?
The Aerium, a decommissioned blimp hangar, is located on an ex-Soviet airbase about 60 kilometers south of Berlin. The goal was to build a self-contained place to visit in the middle of Europe with more than 66,000 m2 (710,000 sq ft) of floor area. If you don’t like math, let us help you. That’s huge!
It has 5 million cubic meters of a confined environment. The enormous hangar of the Tropical Islands facility first welcomed guests in December 2004. If not for the greenery on the outside, you won’t be wrong in assuming that this is a moon base.
Life goes by like floating icebergs
It’s the perfect opportunity of the year to see grand chunks of ice float along Newfoundland and Labrador’s eastern coast in springtime. This region is called “Iceberg Alley” and is a great site for witnessing roaming ice masterpieces, with numerous charming neighborhoods.
These settlements are scattered over a thousand kilometers of shoreline. It looks surreal, to be honest. Here you are, at the edge of the land, watching enormous icebergs just float by, like they have no care in the world. Our planet really is a unique place.
Naval ensign of the San Ildefonso
The woolen, 10 x 14.5-foot memorial, which was displayed in St. Paul’s Cathedral’s crossing throughout Nelson’s memorial service on January 9th, 1806, was given to the British Naval Museum by the cathedral’s dean and chapter in 1907. They preserved it well, as you can see.
It is easy to see the destruction brought on by the Battle of Trafalgar. If the standard was this big, one could develop a decent idea of how large the vessel must have been. Scale and perspective can really cause us to warp our minds to comprehend the sheer size of something.
Elephant Seals
Elephant seal males can grow to almost 20 feet in length and weigh upwards of 8000 lbs. The females are much smaller than the males, who are more massive due to their territorial nature and propensity to gather many mates, like most animals in the animal kingdom.
The males then create harems with whom they can only mate. They are big, and pictures like this clearly show how big these creatures can truly get. Will you just look at how it is holding the bucket of fish, too! Adorable!
Now that’s big!
Brazil is notable not only for its beaches but also for its cave systems, which are equally stunning and unexpected. Some of them even set global milestones, such as Gruta Casa de Pedra, which is home to the world’s biggest cave entrance. The name means “House of Stone Cave” in Portuguese.
The enormous cave opening stands majestically tall at roughly 705 feet high. It is so massive that this could effortlessly engulf the 58-story tower Trump Tower. Now that’s mind-boggling! This is of those places where you have to be to witness to understand its size!
Part of the Hoover dam spillway
Along each face of the Hoover dam are spillways situated 27 feet under the dam’s summit. Any water that rises that much will flow into the emergency spillway and into two of the initial diverting tunnels through 50-foot-diameter, 600-foot-long tunnels.
These are steeply sloped. Based on the reservoir’s water level and the likelihood of flooding, they are moved up and down. Only twice have they been used: once before for testing in 1941 and once due to floods in 1983.
Impressive is an understatement
To honor the effort of such miners who already labored for over two hundred years underneath the location of its installation, Gormley claims that he selected an angel for the said monument in order to symbolize the change from industrialization to the age of information.
This acts as a focal point for our changing aspirations and anxieties. Two hundred tons of steel went into its construction, and it is anchored into place by 500 tons of concrete piles, which hold on to the solid rock and travels 70 feet underground! Talk about stability!
Inner peace
Now, if this can be built, this would serve so much purpose. Just imagine sitting at the edge and staring into the ocean, lost in your thoughts as you contemplate so many of your dreams and desires, looking at the waves crash against each other. Sorry, this photo is making us get carried away!
This would be an extraordinary place for people to hang out with each other. The ocean provides this calming effect that sometimes you just can’t explain with words. This photo almost reminds us of the movie Inception.
Duke and Baron – The Kelpies
The Kelpies, an engineering marvel that towers over the Forth & Clyde waterway, was individually constructed with 300 tons of structural steel. They are a colossal homage to the horsepower history that was essential to the earlier enterprises of central Scotland.
The Kelpies are the biggest set of equestrian artworks in the entire world and were created by Scottish artist Andy Scott. They are quite an impressive sight to behold when standing just feet from them. They look like they are trying to break away free from their master.
Nani?!?
Before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, people observed a peculiar spectacle floating above Tokyo – a perplexing piece by the Japanese group (Mé). The unsettling artwork, Masayume, or “prophetic dream,” was imprinted on a balloon and floated over the metropolis.
This occurred on July 16th as a component of the Tokyo Tokyo Fest, a celebration that’s times in sync with the opening of the Olympics. It looks mysterious if you look at it from an artistic perspective, but if you are not in your senses, this might take you by surprise.
Kong does what he wants
As far as carnival rides go, this really does take the cake. Very few can top the feeling of King Kong picking up their carriage and rocking it like a darn pringles can. It’s surreal and primal-feeling, to say the least.
Also, if you are not prone to getting heart attacks, passing out, or having epilepsy or strokes, this can be one heck of an enjoyable ride. It’s always smarter to be safe than sorry when it comes to attractions like this.
Danger Room from X-Men?
If you are wondering what this sci-fi auditorium is, wonder no further. It’s the inside of an LNG carrier. Liquid natural gas is stored at an exceptionally low temperature while not under pressure (-260 degrees F) to make for safer transport.
Combustion is feasible if a container ever fails and develops a breach, only if there is the right quantity of liquefied natural gas in the vapor phase in the environment and an ignite element. Eruptions are highly improbable because such a mixture is uncommon.
How to prove that the Earth isn’t flat
Although sizes vary, average modern wind farm towers are roughly 70 meters high and have blades that are 50 meters in length. Depending on their size and height, they can produce somewhere between 1-5 megawatts of power at the top range.
That would be sufficient to supply around 1,100 homes with power. Each wind turbine produces about two and a half MW and can need up to 80 acres of property. Farming is still possible in a large portion of the area since wind turbines are placed so far apart.
The three gorges dam
Thirty-nine billion tons of Yangtze River water accumulated behind the Three Gorges Dam during construction, raising the area there by 175 meters above sea level. Because of this, the inertia of the Earth shifted a little, and the rotation slowed down.
The Three Gorges Dam measures 7,770 feet in length and 594 feet in height. Upstream from the dam, the Three Gorges Reservoir stretches 370 miles along the Yangtze River. The reservoir really does have a surface water expanse of over 417 square miles when it is fully filled.
Rendition of a real rocket engine.
The 363-foot-long Saturn V launch vehicle’s first phase was powered by a 1.5 million-pound-thrust F-1 engine, which also served as the propulsion system for six Project Apollo lunar landing operations throughout 1969 and 1972. Liquid oxygen and RP-1, a kind of kerosene, served as the F-1’s rocket fuel.
At a rate of 42,500 gallons per minute, the F-1’s 2,500-pound fuel injection system fed in the propellants. The Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International built this engine in 1963, and it underwent four-start tests with a combined duration of 192.6 seconds.
Bow before me
Companion, the iconic creature created by American artist KAWS, will soon soar above a number of locations across the globe in a hot air balloon. KAWS, aka Brian Donnelly, revealed intentions of flying his enormous new artwork above a few major cities.
Also in a number of nations, including Australia, China, Turkey, and Spain. It’s so huge it kind of looks like a long-forgotten monument for a long-forgotten piece of history. Plus, the surroundings in this image add to the mysterious vibe that this artwork offers.
Tailbaila rock formation in Maharashtra
A magmatic dike forms the Tailbaila or Telbaila fort. Dikes are produced when lava pours through such a projection and is given time to cool gradually. Cone-shaped cliffs may be seen somewhere amid the rows. Such cones are known as volcanic plugs in geology.
The sloped sidewalls are known as dikes. It is a type of rock formation created by the buildup of lava. The journey to Tailbaila Fort gives a glimpse of this unusual magmatic dike, which is made up of two walls and a gorge.
Minecraft build
So, this polished-looking, strange building happens to serve an archival purpose. It’s called the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen Abteilung Rheinland located in Germany. We honestly won’t be too surprised to learn if a Minecraft AI designed the whole thing.
It has all the aspects which point to Minecraft’s influence. Polished surfaces, no windows, and sharp angles. Maybe the no windows policy is because of the important documents stored inside, which need protection from humidity, sunlight, and other external factors.