This past October, engineers in Denmark pulled off a monumental task: They moved an eight-story lighthouse to prevent it from toppling into the ocean.
The Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse was built on a seaside cliff in 1900. Back then, the edge of the cliff was 200 meters (656 feet) from the building. But over the years, erosion from wind and waves carried away sediment. That caused the coastline to recede, shifting it to just a few meters from the lighthouse.
To rescue the lighthouse, engineers inserted steel beams around its base and levered it up onto rolling platforms. The platforms glided along a track, carrying the structure to its new location 70 m (230 ft) inland. The effort gives future generations a chance to visit the historic building. “It’s always been a landmark, and the view from the top is stunning,” says Jesper Blom-Hansen, the head of the agency that oversees the lighthouse.