Look how unsettling it is when modern meets historic

17 Jul 2015

The world is awash with wonders. Some are natural, like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, or the Grand Canyon in the US. Some are manmade, like Newgrange in Ireland, or the Terracotta Army in China.

On such a topic, there are many things to see in England. London city, for example, Blackpool Pier, perhaps.

But very rarely do you look down as waves crash against white cliffs, or as sunshine creates a wonderful shadow through an immense bridge, and think, ‘wow this place really needs a big-screen TV’.

But this is a highly-populated world now, overpopulated, perhaps. So there’s always someone thinking outside the box, pushing the envelope in order to create a masterpiece many can’t comprehend.

Of course, sometimes there’s just really strange ideas, really odd executions, and really questionable results.

Push that envelope, further, a little further, further…

VoucherCodesPro has just taken a gamble and started pushing an envelope in a direction we can’t quite tell just yet. Well, we can.

Setting its creative design team an odd task of updating some of the UK’s major historic tourist attractions, the results are digital masterpieces.

“After much deliberations and ideas floating around, the team managed to come up with some absolutely brilliant designs,” reads the company’s blog.

Apparently these “certainly pose a question of whether Big Ben should ever be updated”. Speaking of Big Ben, let’s start there.

By subtly substituting a digital clock for the standard, 157-year-old clock that currently sits on London’s most iconic building, the ideas just kept coming, it seems.

There is rolling BBC news coverage on one side of the tower, with an Apple advert on another. Amazon drones fly by to give a real, futuristic, digitised feel.

Things to see in England - Big Ben

For Buckingham Palace, a handy live stream from inside the building is mounted above the entrance.

The Queen of England’s Twitter feed rolls down one side as two holographic guards stand watch.

Because future.

Things to see in England - Buckingham Palace

The Roman Baths in Bath is the next venue that gets a much-needed upgrade.

Adding a “luxury relaxing spot”, a projector shows live TV and films, with not-at-all Roman spotlights dotted around the water.

Things to see in England - Roman Baths

But no, it doesn’t end there.

Stonehenge is desperately needing an upgrade, I’m sure we all agree.

So lastly, how about self-driving cars terrifying the rocks, selfie pods to add to the mood, and all-round lunacy to make it all work.

Things to see in England - Stonehenge

Gigglebit is Siliconrepublic.com’s daily dose of the funny and fantastic in science and tech, to help start your day on a lighter note.

Main image via Shutterstock

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

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