9. Northern Angel
Found in: Gateshead, United Kingdom, Est. Building cost: $1.5 million
Angel of the North, erected in 1998 by artist Antony Gormley, watches over Gateshead, Tynes and Wear, England. The purpose of this artistic sculpture was to serve as a reminder to us of the hundreds of years that coal miners toiled in the dark underneath it.
The North Angel (/commons.wikimedia.org)
Due to local opposition and technical challenges, Gormley had his reservations and the sculpture almost never happened. The sculpture took a long time to complete, and its wingspan is nearly as large as a Boeing Jumbo Jet.