Top 10 CRAZY Expensive Buildings in the World

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#10: Apple Park

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Apple VS Microsoft

Cupertino, California, USA

In 2017, Apple Inc. opened their monolithic headquarters, Apple Park, in Cupertino, California. At $5 billion, the price tag covers research space, a huge auditorium, a wellness center, and a natural courtyard. For all intents and purposes, this “office” is so fully loaded that an employee could do everything here except stay the night. Despite its nickname “the spaceship,” this massive ring won’t blast off anytime soon. Forgoing the usual stuffy office complex, Apple Park functions as part workspace, part nature reserve. The company devotes the hollowed out interior space to orchards, gardens, and a variety of plant life. Originally proposed by Steve Jobs before his death, Apple Park represents the next evolution of modern office buildings.

Singapore

Designed by Moshe Safdie, this elegant Singapore resort features a prominent SkyPark that connects three towers. Owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation, the company dropped a whopping $6.88 billion on the resort. With over 2,500 rooms, the resort’s luxury hotel makes a regular hotel look like a doll house. Opened in 2010, the integrated resort contains a huge casino and numerous celebrity chef restaurants. From the infinity swimming pool to a shopping mall, Marina Bay Sands delivers an endless treasure trove of attractions that boost the already incomprehensible budget. If that doesn't sound exhausting, there's also a museum and an indoor skating rink. To top it all off, there’s potential plans for Marina Bay Sands to build yet another tower.

Inglewood, California, USA

Home to both Los Angeles football teams, SoFi stadium symbolizes a whole new era for sports and entertainment facilities in America. It's only fair that billions of dollars be spent on state of the art technology for the most essential of public services: football. Both the Chargers and the Rams call this $5 billion dollar field their home, which has a seating capacity of over 100,000 depending on the event size. Instead of a typical jumbotron, SoFi Stadium fitted a Samsung-designed “Infinity Screen” over the field in a unique ovular design. If you can't stand football, the greater SoFi complex also houses the YouTube Theater concert venue. Opening in 2020, it is considered the most expensive stadium of its kind.

Željava, Croatia

At $6 billion, this underground air base rests on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Built underneath a mountain with special reinforcements, this Cold War artifact was designed to withstand a nuclear blast. Its two decade long construction ended in 1968, at which point the area base was under Yugoslavian military control. Before its demolition in 1992, this secret base made even Bond villains jealous. During its heyday, Željava Air Base housed fighter aircraft squadrons and used five runways. It contained tunnels stretching for a combined 3.5 km, which were not used for elaborate hide and seek games. Needless to say, it remains the highest-priced military installation of its era.

Slovakia

As you might've guessed, nuclear power costs a lot of money. It’s facilities such as Mochovce that prove that notion and then some, with a price tag in the neighborhood of $7.6 billion. This Slovakian powerhouse functions with two reactors and has two more on the way. In a plan dating back to the 1970s, then-Czechoslovakian officials began initial construction on two reactors in the 1980s. After the country split in two, the project was finished by the end of the 1990s. Mochovce powers 20% of Slovakia, or 6,922 gigawatts an hour if you can even fathom that. While there are safety concerns for nuclear power plants, the plant's enormously-priced reactors shift the focus away from traditional carbon emissions.

Olkiluoto Island, Finland

Named for the Finnish island it was built upon, Olkiluoto 3 is a nuclear power plant with three reactors. Sitting on the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Bothnia, this is an unlikely but essential part of the Western Finnish skyline. While the plant wouldn't be considered a vacation spot, at the very least it has a beautiful view of the coast. Due to the delays with the third reactor’s operation status and a fourth reactor on the docket, this power plant's extended budget of $12.4 billion might be only a temporary estimate. Currently, the reactors encompass 22% of Finland’s energy supply. If all goes well with the additional reactors, a nuclear power plant will somehow make the happiest nation on earth even happier.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Located near the Great Mosque, this hotel complex cost a whopping $16 billion. Along with g highly rated hotels, the complex features a central clock tower which functions as the tallest building in Saudi Arabia. One hotel might sound like enough, but Abraj Al Bait goes the extra mile with a total of seven. Considering its location, this serves as a main site for Muslim pilgrims to stay during their journey to Mecca. If you find yourself lost in the gargantuan building, the complex also houses a five-story shopping mall for your entertainment. As an essential part of Mecca tourism, Abraj Al Bait's practicalities far outweigh its extravagance.

Flamanville, France

At $21.9 billion, Flamanville 3 exists as one of the costliest nuclear power plants in the world. Due to considerable delays, the project far exceeded its initial estimates. If there's one tradition Flamanville carries on about power plants, it's that they never come in under budget. On the northern coast of France, this facility hopes to achieve a completely operational status by 2024. After mishaps such as a 2017 explosion, further investigations continued to hinder the project. Barbara Pompili, France’s energy minister, expressed her own concerns about Flamanville's over-budgeted and underestimated end goals. With any luck, the plant’s vast expenses will deliver huge dividends before the sun burns out.

Saint Paul les Durance, France

ITER stands for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, so be thankful that humanity crafted acronyms. As the culmination of decades-long talks, the ITER represents the cutting edge of fusion energy research facilities. In an attempt to replicate the sun’s energy, the ITER functions on a whole other level from a power plant or another scientific building. Naturally, this kind of project involves loads of super complicated science stuff that elevates the price to $25 billion. However, they’ll have to wait until 2025 to determine the true viability of the building. It might not be as extravagant as a resort, but the ITER facility might revolutionize the future of energy usage forever.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Shard, London, England
A Pyramidal Tower in Neo-Futurist Style That Towers Over London at $3.9 Billion

Antilia, Mumbai, India
Located in Mumbai, This Is the Costliest Private Residence on Earth at $2.6 Billion

Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
A Seven-Hotel Resort & Casino Estimated at $4 to $5 Billion

One World Trade Center, New York City, USA
At $3.8 Billion, This NYC Tower Is the Tallest Building in the United States

Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea
The Tallest Skyscraper in South Korea Tops Out at Just Over $3 Billion

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Not only is Masjid al-Haram astronomically expensive, it's home to the holiest site in the Muslim world. Located in Mecca, the building's $100 billion-plus price tag puts any power plant or hotel resort to shame. Also known as the Great Mosque, the site welcomes millions of Muslim visitors making their pilgrimage. While the many expansions and renovations raised the budget, the building also continues a priceless history that dates back to the 7th century. After all, there's a reason that the name Mecca inspired the noun for a revered and essential location. Considering its age and religious precedence, it's easy to see why Masjid al-Haram racks up the highest building appraisal on the planet.


Did we forget one of your favorite buildings? Let us know in the comments below?