The top 20 list of most fascinating modern wonders of the world

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 percent 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 ent 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. Building Impossible with Daniel Ashville starts September 14 at 8pm. (Image: Disney) 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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 largest ocean-going cruise liner, ‘Icon of the Seas’ in Finland to the ground-breaking Brenner Tunnel beneath the Alps. Simon Raikes, commissioning editor at National Geographic, said: “Sometimes it does really feel like the impossible has been made possible when you look at so many feats of engineering across the world.  ‘Every one of the cutting-edge stadiums, bridges, ships, tunnels, and aircraft Daniel visits is pushing the limits of modern engineering – and so this series offers a fascinating insight into the imagination, ingenuity, and sheer hard work required to build the impossible.’