Sizzling skyscraper
The London skyscraper, nicknamed “Walkie-Talkie,” designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, was initially notable for its unusual shape, with its curved, eye-catching walls. Unfortunately, something entirely different became known when the south-facing wall, which is covered in reflective glass, started to absorb sunlight in such a way that it was literally melting (yes, melting!) cars and triggering fires. Fixes to the issue included temporary netting and then permanent sunshade, which cost the approximate “low single-digit million” according to the Standard.
High seas disaster
It’s hard not to think of the sinking of the Titanic while contemplating the most expensive errors in history. Add to that the huberous of the then White Star Line vice-president, Phillip Franklin, when he proclaimed “There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers.” Words that would come to haunt him.
In 1912, the monetary loss of the ship, which had been on its maiden voyage when it sank, was $7.5 million. According to Business Insider, that would be equivalent to $168 million today. But not even that will compensate for the lives lost during the tragic incident.
King Tut’s beard
Ancient artifacts are priceless, and curators spend a great deal of time maintaining these irreplaceable items in excellent condition. In 2015, a funeral mask belonging to King Tutankhamen was broken at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo after his beard began to detach. In an interview with the Associated Press, the curator acknowledged that the restoration process did not go as planned.
“Unfortunately he used a very irreversible material,” they said of the would-be fixer. “Epoxy has a very high property for attaching, and is used on metal or stone—but I think it wasn’t suitable for an outstanding object like Tutankhamen’s golden mask.”
