12 Design Details and Engineering Marvels Hiding in Plain Sight

Ah, the wonders of modern architecture! From the Chrysler Building to the Monadnock Building, from oil derricks to the cat ladders in Bern, Switzerland, from rain chains to metal star bolts, these are just a few of the clever design details that we may have overlooked in buildings and public spaces. 

From the outside, a building may look like nothing more than a collection of bricks and steel. But when you take a closer look, you can find a wealth of hidden features that have been designed to make the structures more efficient, more stable, and more beautiful. 

In this list, we’ll take a closer look at 12 of the most clever design details that we never noticed in buildings and public spaces. We’ll explore the various techniques used to protect buildings from earthquakes, the ways in which people have used color to mark utilities, and ... the centuries-old partnership between humans and owls. 

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