7 Wonders

Seven Wonders of the Modern World

Michigan Stadium

Currently home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the nation. In the 2003 season Michigan hosted long time rival Ohio State in front of a current NCAA record crowd of 112,118 fans.1 Nicknamed "The Big House", Michigan Stadium is located in Ann Arbor and has seen over 35 million fans passed threw its gates since its inaugural game on October 1st, 1927.1 I chose this piece of architecture because it is considered a football cathedral and a stadium like this will be rich in tradition for a lot longer than a hundred years from now.

Daytona International Speedway

Nestled on the outskirts of Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona International Speedway hosts a number of activities including civil functions, police training, numerous car shows and, more famously, auto racing. Considered "The Superbowl of Motorsports", the Daytona 500 is an annual event that hosts The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Daytona is famously known as the "World Center of Racing" and during the weekend of the 500 the numbers back it up.2 The Great American Race entertains a whopping 200,000 in attendance on average and approximately 39 million viewers worldwide.2 This year's Daytona 500 will be in the living rooms of 150+ countries and translated into 63 languages. A century from now the majority of the world will look back and consider Daytona the Mecca of motorsports.

Bank of China Tower

Unveiled on May 17th 1990, the Bank of China Tower soared into the Hong Kong skies as the first skyscraper to exceed 1000 feet in a country other than America.3 This commercial office building quickly became the jewel of China. Taking nearly 15 years to complete, the 72 floor, 367 meter (1,205ft.) tower cost an impressive 130 million dollars. 3 Architect I.M. Pei's genius was tested early in the design of the tower due to the relatively small budget, limited available space in a crammed downtown district and not to mention a small inconvenience for any architect in East Asia known as Typhoons. Pei successfully compromised these difficulties by designing a stylish, aerodynamic and spiritual epicenter that the entire world will envy for many generations to come.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower located in Paris, France is considered by many to be the symbol for all of Europe. The Eiffel Tower was originally built to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the French Revolution. With construction lasting just over 2 years, the tower was opened on March 31st, 1889.4 Weighing just over 10,000 tons, the Eiffel Tower is considered a relatively light structure.4 The 985 foot tower boasts, what many consider, one of the most breath-taking views in the entire world.4 The Eiffel Tower is the supreme European Monument and has solidified its place in history.

Golden Gate Bridge

Joseph B. Strauss chief engineer and architect of The Golden Gate Bridges had a dream of building a suspension bridge that crossed the Golden Strait and connected San Francisco and Oakland. Unfortunately many did not take his dream seriously