Here are some proposed monuments that have never been built throughout history.
The first one is this:
This elephant statue was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte as a victory monument. It was to be made of bronze, and the bronze was to come from the melted-down cannons of his defeated enemies.
However, it was never built because Napoleon was defeated and removed from power. Consequently, the monument did not attract much interest afterward.
A life-size plaster version was made, and naturally began to deteriorate...
It was built years after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
As it deteriorated...
It has become a symbol of failure. Yes, those are rats running on the plaster statue.
It became such a symbol of failure that Victor Hugo used it in his novel "Les Misérables" where it served as a shelter for the homeless living on the street.
Next comes "The Palace of the Soviets":
It was intended to be the "Palace of the Soviets," which was to serve as a monument to Russia. It was to reach a height of approximately 450 meters.
To make way for it, this cathedral was demolished... The Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
And the site has been cleared to begin construction.
But this tower was so massive that it required tons and tons of materials to build. And just as a foundation was being laid, the Second World War brought its construction to a halt.
For years after World War II, no work was done on the foundations and no attempt was made to resume construction of the palace.
However, in 1958, the rubble was removed from the empty foundation and it was transformed into an open-air swimming pool.
The swimming pool remained open until 1991.
In the 1990s, the swimming pool was closed and there was a competition to decide what to do with it...
It was finally decided to…
Rebuild the cathedral on the site.