People did not stop building wonders in the modern era. In America alone, “One World Trade Center” and “Bass Pro Shops Pyramid” as examples of recent architectural wonders.
I’ve seen the meme of “people stopped building wonders” and I think this is an exaggeration. It’s primarily limited to the USA. Other countries are more likely to make large constructions. And even the USA-only version of the “no more wonders” is inaccurate.
Here are the only “justifiable” reasons and then the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid and One World Trade Center debunk this.
-With the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was less need for wonder grandstanding to make the US more grandiose to help win the Cold War
– Big personal projects were seen as vanity, not making a wonder (so we wouldn’t consider those wonders)
-Public buildings: Some political movements were skeptical of big infrastructure projects. This makes it difficult to get the money needed to build wonders.
-Function over form: Taxpayers would not like paying money to make something beautiful if it wasn’t going to be useful for them. Many of the big American wonders that do exist like the Interstate system work well because of their function.
-Architectural techniques? (Wonders usually last a long time. However, modern American construction is strong and built fast, but also needs frequent repairs, unlike many construction methods of the past).
-Recency bias: Everyone knows of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, but what defines a modern wonder is a bit harder to define.
GiantEnemaCrab on
I know this is a meme but comparing the timeframes isn’t fair. Many thousands of years of human history vs what, the last few hundred? Even so the Three Gorges Dam probably counts as a modern wonder that dwarfs a lot of the ancient ones. Or depending on your definition the Troll A platform (an oil rig) is absurdly large. The Seawise Giant is a ship 3 times as long as the Pyramid of Giza is tall.
Also you know there’s literally hundreds of megastructure buildings like the New Century Global Center or Burj Khalifa which are so massive that they would make the Egyptians drop to their knees and shit themselves in awe.
auntgramma1956 on
The real Wonder is Convincing future Historians that Malls and Airports were our Pyramids.
yappmaster on
It’s not about the shape it’s about the meaning. The egyptian pyramids are giant tombs for god emperors, the bass pro thing is just a symbol of the modern decadence and capitalism that plagues our world.
JonathanUpp on
The biggest thing that people forget is there’s a massive space station IN SPACE AND A MAN ON HAS BEEN ON THE MOON
tsimen on
You could have picked the 3 gorges dam for this or even the fucking Burj Khalifa but you went with the Bass Pro Shop lol
gostesven on
Feel like I need to step in and correct a historical inaccuracy here.
The Pyramid in Memphis was NOT built as a bass pro shop originally. It was built as an arena and venue. I saw a few games and concert there growing up, even saw a couple traveling museum exhibits.
Eventually Memphis was able to get its own NBA team in the grizzlies. I believe it was the first season, but basically the roof started leaking mid game and it became a big embarrassment. So we built the fedex forum where the grizzlies now play, and then sold the pyramid to bass pro shop.
Part of me really hates that Bass Pro Shops bought it, because it turned an iconic part of the memphis skyline into a giant advert. But at the time there was so much blight downtown it’s arguably better than it just sitting vacant for decades like so many other buildings of the era.
Blankenhorne on
“Just as Ramesses intended”.
HolyMolyOllyPolly on
“I knew the future would bring wonders. I did not know it would make them ordinary.”
-Dracula, Netflix’s ‘Dracula’
revealedbyai on
I can’t wait for archeologists in the year 4000 to dig this up and theorize that we worshipped a Great Fish God who demanded offerings of discount lures and camouflage vests
Bad_Idea_Hat on
As in, “I wonder what this new surcharge on my room bill is.”
Suspicious_Abroad424 on
Thought i was in the civilization sub for a minute
12 Comments
Explanation:
People did not stop building wonders in the modern era. In America alone, “One World Trade Center” and “Bass Pro Shops Pyramid” as examples of recent architectural wonders.
I’ve seen the meme of “people stopped building wonders” and I think this is an exaggeration. It’s primarily limited to the USA. Other countries are more likely to make large constructions. And even the USA-only version of the “no more wonders” is inaccurate.
Here are the only “justifiable” reasons and then the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid and One World Trade Center debunk this.
-With the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was less need for wonder grandstanding to make the US more grandiose to help win the Cold War
– Big personal projects were seen as vanity, not making a wonder (so we wouldn’t consider those wonders)
-Public buildings: Some political movements were skeptical of big infrastructure projects. This makes it difficult to get the money needed to build wonders.
-Function over form: Taxpayers would not like paying money to make something beautiful if it wasn’t going to be useful for them. Many of the big American wonders that do exist like the Interstate system work well because of their function.
-Architectural techniques? (Wonders usually last a long time. However, modern American construction is strong and built fast, but also needs frequent repairs, unlike many construction methods of the past).
-Recency bias: Everyone knows of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, but what defines a modern wonder is a bit harder to define.
I know this is a meme but comparing the timeframes isn’t fair. Many thousands of years of human history vs what, the last few hundred? Even so the Three Gorges Dam probably counts as a modern wonder that dwarfs a lot of the ancient ones. Or depending on your definition the Troll A platform (an oil rig) is absurdly large. The Seawise Giant is a ship 3 times as long as the Pyramid of Giza is tall.
Also you know there’s literally hundreds of megastructure buildings like the New Century Global Center or Burj Khalifa which are so massive that they would make the Egyptians drop to their knees and shit themselves in awe.
The real Wonder is Convincing future Historians that Malls and Airports were our Pyramids.
It’s not about the shape it’s about the meaning. The egyptian pyramids are giant tombs for god emperors, the bass pro thing is just a symbol of the modern decadence and capitalism that plagues our world.
The biggest thing that people forget is there’s a massive space station IN SPACE AND A MAN ON HAS BEEN ON THE MOON
You could have picked the 3 gorges dam for this or even the fucking Burj Khalifa but you went with the Bass Pro Shop lol
Feel like I need to step in and correct a historical inaccuracy here.
The Pyramid in Memphis was NOT built as a bass pro shop originally. It was built as an arena and venue. I saw a few games and concert there growing up, even saw a couple traveling museum exhibits.
Eventually Memphis was able to get its own NBA team in the grizzlies. I believe it was the first season, but basically the roof started leaking mid game and it became a big embarrassment. So we built the fedex forum where the grizzlies now play, and then sold the pyramid to bass pro shop.
Part of me really hates that Bass Pro Shops bought it, because it turned an iconic part of the memphis skyline into a giant advert. But at the time there was so much blight downtown it’s arguably better than it just sitting vacant for decades like so many other buildings of the era.
“Just as Ramesses intended”.
“I knew the future would bring wonders. I did not know it would make them ordinary.”
-Dracula, Netflix’s ‘Dracula’
I can’t wait for archeologists in the year 4000 to dig this up and theorize that we worshipped a Great Fish God who demanded offerings of discount lures and camouflage vests
As in, “I wonder what this new surcharge on my room bill is.”
Thought i was in the civilization sub for a minute