Random Famous Buildings That Are Leaning (10 items)

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  (#1) Millennium Tower

  • San Francisco, California, USA

  Of all the famous buildings that are leaning, the Millennium Tower takes the cake as the youngest. Completed in 2009, the Millennium Tower in San Francisco has already tilted two inches to the northwest AND sunk sixteen inches. After a lot of finger-pointing, experts determined that this is due to the building's support beams being drilled only 80 feet down into dense sand as opposed to 200 feet down into sturdy bedrock – a measure taken to cut construction costs. Oops.
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  (#2) Big Ben

  • City of Westminster, London, England

  Built in 1858, the Parliament Clock Tower (AKA "Big Ben") leans northwest approximately .26 degrees. Engineers say this is likely due to underground construction projects over the last few decades. Though subtle, surveyors say that the lean will continue to worsen over time. Look like we might have another Pisa on our hands. 
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  (#3) Suurhusen Church Tower - Suurhusen, Germany

  According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Germany's Suurhusen Church Tower has the biggest unintentional lean of any building in the world. Built on swampy land, the church's foundation of oak logs kept it stable and upright for centuries. However, extensive land draining in the 18th century caused the foundation to become unsettled and the tower began to lean. 
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  (#4) Two Towers of Bologna

  • Bologna, Italy

  The "Due Torri" were both built early in the 12th century as status symbols by the Asinelli and Garisenda families. Originally similar in height, the now-smaller Garisenda tower had to be shortened in the 14th century due to an unstable foundation and a dangerous lean. The towers have sparked numerous legends about romance and squabbles and were even mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. 
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  (#5) Our Dear Lady At The Mountain Church Tower - Frankenhausen, Germany

  • Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

  Known as Oberkirche (Upper Church), the church of Our Dear Lady at the Mountain in Bad Frankenhausen, Germany, was built in 1382. The church's granite tower stood straight until the 17th century, when sink holes from surrounding salt mines caused the tower to start tilting. It leans at an angle of 4.8 degrees, which is greater than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
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  (#6) Tiger Hill Pagoda - Souzhou, China

  • Souzhou, China

  With a stout tilt of roughly 3.59 degrees, the Tiger Hill Pagoda is one of the most well-known leaning towers of China. The pagoda was constructed around 960 CE and stands 148 feet tall on top of Tiger Hill in Souzhou, China. The tower leans because two of its support columns have cracked, but don't worry: it was reinforced with concrete, so it's safe now (probably).
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  (#7) Leaning Tower of Nevyansk

  • Russia

  Funded by the Demidov family in the 18th century, much remains unknown about this Russian tower, including the exact date it was built and what purpose it was meant to serve. Theories include a watchtower, a prison, a space for chemical experiments and creating counterfeit money, and a belltower. The reason for the tower's lean is also unknown, though restorers have cited construction defects as the likely cause. 
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  (#8) Tower Of The Milices - Rome, Italy

  • Rome, Italy

  Constructed in the early 13th century, the Tower of the Milices, or Torre delle Milizie, is nestled between the Church of S. Caterina and Trajan's Market in Rome. Its name is derived from the Italian word for "militia," because it was once a fortress. The old tower has been through a lot over the last few centuries, but an earthquake in 1348 is known to be the culprit not only for knocking out its third floor, but also for its substantial lean.
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  (#9) Oede Kerk - Delft, Netherlands

  • Delft, the Netherlands

  Originally built as a Roman Catholic church in 1246, the Oede Kerk (Old Church) was converted for Protestant use during the Protestant Reformation. The tower was built during the mid-14th century and began leaning almost immediately due to natural settling and possibly unstable ground from the nearby canal. 
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  (#10) Church Of St. Mary And All Saints - Chesterfield, UK

  • Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England

  A number of funny legends have arisen to explain how the spire of St. Mary and All Saints Church gained its unique twist and lean. One story claims that a virgin was getting married in the church and that the spire twisted around in shock to steal a glance. More likely, the strange asymmetry is due to the fact that during its construction in the mid-15th century, inexperienced workers used uncured wood to build the spire. Once the heavy lead shingles were placed on top, the wood couldn't handle the weight and warped and buckled in response. 

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