- London’s Tower Bridge Has Hidden Chambers
Tower Bridge – BASCULE CHAMBERS Engineering Tour
Anyone familiar with British culture will undoubtedly be aware of London’s Tower Bridge, one of England’s most distinguished landmarks. Standing tall at more than 200 feet (61 meters), this structure is a suspension bridge spanning the River Thames, which can allow both road and river traffic to pass through. What some people might not know, however, is that the bridge holds a secret: the Bascule Chambers.
The Bascule Chambers were originally built to help move large counterweights during bridge lifts. Mostly off-limits to the public, the chambers are made up of two massive main halls, both 99.5 feet (27 meters) in height and located inside the piers of the bridge. Construction wasn’t easy, as engineers had to meticulously excavate foundations beneath the River Thames, lowering themselves into the depths via steel cages. From time to time, the Bascule Chambers open up to the public for special events and tours.
- There Are Optical Illusions in the Parthenon
Athens, Greece, is home to the Parthenon, an architectural masterpiece built sometime between 447 and 432 BC. It was intended to replace a previously damaged temple. It is one of the most visited heritage sites in the world, seen by millions of tourists every year. The structure was made with pure white marble and used no cement or mortar. The Greek architect Phidias oversaw the construction of the Parthenon, including things like a statue of Athena, the structure’s famous white columns, and a little bit of secret mathematics that created a fascinating optical illusion.
The Parthenon is intentionally designed with geometric irregularities, such as non-equidistant columns that slope inward. These imperfect lines help give the building the impression of perfect geometry and alignment, due to how the human eye perceives depth. Designers had to take human perception into account and correct for it.
- Discover A Secret Crypt underneath Washington D.C.’s Capitol
A Walk Through the U.S. Capitol Crypt
Washington D.C.’s Capitol is one of the most well-known historical landmarks in the United States. First constructed in 1793, the Capitol was established as an official building to house the U.S. Congress. Its location in Washington, D.C. was a compromise between the American North and South. What some people may not know, however, is that there is a secret crypt hidden beneath the Capitol building.
The crypt, originally called the Grand Vestibule, was built for George Washington and his wife, Martha, to serve as their final resting places. However, numerous disagreements and delays within Congress kept the remains of the Washington’s from being placed in the crypt itself. The space has a European Cathedral design in its substructure, giving it an eerie, mausoleum look and atmosphere. To this day, the crypt remains empty, save for the statues of notable figures from the founding days of Colonial America.
- New York Public Libraries Have Secret Apartments
Step Inside a Secret Library Apartment | Atlas Obscure
New York City boasts some of the largest and most impressive libraries in the world. It is the fourth-largest library system in the entire world. Over 11 million books comprise the New York Public Library’s incredible research collection. There’s one thing that visitors of the library may not be aware of, however: secret apartments located in the building.
There are about 13 hidden apartments left in the library, a holdover from the time when the library custodians and their families would live in them. Due to renovations over the decades, these apartments now lay empty, with most of them removed. Currently, the library plans to turn the remaining apartments into program spaces to better accommodate the library’s ever-changing needs. Many of these spaces are decrepit and decaying, standing as a reminder of a curious time in the library’s history.
- Notre Dame’s Gargoyles Also Function as Waterspouts
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the crowning jewels of French architecture. Located in Paris, France, this Gothic cathedral is world-famous and is replete with intricate, ornate design elements. The gargoyles of the cathedral are perhaps just as famous as the church itself (many people will be familiar with Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and its gargoyle characters). These statues resemble mythical creatures, such as dragons, demons, and so on, and are carved magnificently from stone. But some people may not know that the gargoyles act as a secret water drainage system.
Rainwater was a huge problem to the cathedral during its early days, as there were no gutters or collection systems in the church. Running water would potentially ruin the building material, causing erosion and cracks. Engineers decided to create gutters within the flying buttresses of the church itself, using the gargoyles to drain water out as part of the drainage network. And best of all, the system blended in perfectly with the architecture.
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