The new British Library is Britain's most famous overrun building project... by decades, millions. Plans were approved in 1980 but by October 1996, it still was not open. At one point, after most of the decoration was complete, all wiring had to be replaced. The final cost will be in the neighbourhood of £450 million -- and it will run out of space by 2000.
It's made of red brick and looks bloody bleak. Next door is St Pancras Station, which was also regarded as an eyesore in its day and now looks like an Alice-in-Wonderland neo-Gothic palace. It doubled as one in the Ian McKellan film version of Richard III. Maybe the future will find the new British Library beautiful.
But it will have to open first.