Unfinished Church - Bermuda, St. George

Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world take decades or even centuries to build, but sometimes the years stretch on and the buildings are never completed, leaving them vulnerable to the elements. The weather can quickly take a toll on buildings that have been left incomplete and uninhabited.

"Rainfall entering the building can cause extensive water damage," said Weather.com meteorologist Christopher Dolce. "Freeze and thaw cycles may lead to the decay of buildings not properly maintained if moisture gets inside the structure and the climate is cold enough that the temperatures drop below freezing in the building during the winter."

Dolce added that strong winds can also peel away any loose elements of the structure, and concrete, a common building material, is affected by the cycles of the changing seasons.

The unfinished buildings listed here have outlasted the elements for tens or hundreds of years, although the weather has done its work on them, and only a few of them are still functional.

One example of the weather taking its toll on an unfinished building is the church at Saint George's on Bermuda. Construction on the neo-gothic structure began in 1874, and it was meant to replace St. Peter's Church, which had fallen into disrepair. But due to problems like parish infighting and financial issues, construction moved ahead slowly, says Bermuda Museums. Then, a hurricane destroyed most of the construction in 1926, and the project was abandoned, according to Wandering Educators. The Unfinished Church later became recognized as part of the Historic Town of St. George UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visitors today can see the crumbling remains and the pillars broken down from past hurricanes.

NEXT: A mansion in Malaysia

Kellie's Castle - Malaysia

The unique and beautiful mansion in Malaysia known as "Kellie's Castle" or alternately "Kellie's Folly" was meant to be a home away from home for Scottish planter William Kellie-Smith. The architectural style combined elements from the Moorish, Indian and Greco-Roman traditions, according to Tour Malaysia, and had been under construction for six years when an epidemic of Spanish flu devastated the workers. The workers asked Smith to build a temple to placate the gods before work would continue, which Smith agreed to, says the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka. But a final disaster - Smith's death during a trip back to England in 1926 - ended the construction, with the mansion uninhabited and incomplete. Because it became such a popular tourist attraction, the Tourism and Culture Ministry of Malaysia recently allocated funds to refurbish the living room and bar lounge, reported Malaysian newspaper the New Straits Times.

NEXT: The largest cathedral in the world

Cathedral of St. John the Divine - New York City

The largest cathedral in the world, located in New York City, has been under construction since 1892 and has yet to be completed. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is big enough to comfortably seat 4,500 parishioners and it stretches the length of two football fields, according the New York Magazine. The construction has been slow going since the start because of economic and engineering problems, and indecisiveness on the part of the architects - the design is a combination of Gothic, Byzantine and Romanesque styles, reported the New York Times. A fire that damaged much of the cathedral in 2001 slowed progress even further, with cleanup only recently being finished. The slow process and uncertain completion date has led to the nickname, "St. John the Unfinished."

NEXT: A redbrick cathedral

Westminster Cathedral - London, England

Although this red brick cathedral looks complete on the outside, it's interior is still a work in progress. The foundation of the Westminster Cathedral was laid in 1895, and the building itself was done eight years later, according to WestminsterCathedral.org. But the interior remains surprisingly plain, though there are some marble statues and mosaics. According to British newspaper the Telegraph, "bit by bit, tile by tile, artists have been working away." Although it is a bit drab, but cathedral is in use for masses and visitors can marvel at the exterior architecture.

NEXT: Inspired by the Parthenon

National Monument - Scotland

Meant to look like the Parthenon, the National Monument of Scotland has only 12 pillars since it was never completed. The monument was built to honor the men who died in battle during the Napoleonic Wars, and construction was initially made possible through donated funds, says USA Today, but the money ran out by 1829 and construction was halted. Built on the sloping Calton Hill in Edinburgh, there continue to be debates about whether or not the monument should be completed, reported the Edinburgh News.

NEXT: The hotel of doom

Ryugyong Hotel - North Korea

The bizarre triangular structure that juts into Pyongyang's skyline in North Korea is called the "hotel of doom," but it hasn't seen any guests since construction first began in 1987. As one of the 50 tallest buildings in the world, with 105 floors, the project was first abandoned in 1992 during an economic crisis, reported the BBC. When the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea inspected the building about 15 years ago, it was thought to be beyond repair. But this past year, rumors started that it might be open to tourists in 2013. Those rumors, however, have proved false. In an interview with CNN, journalist Simon Parry described the building as "a concrete shell" with "no completed surfaces, just bare concrete" on the interior. For now tourists will have to sit and wait to see if the doom hotel ever opens for business.

NEXT: An unfinished fairy tale castle

Neuschwanstein Castle - Germany

This Disney-like castle in the mountains of Bavaria, Germany, was an oddity even in its time. Though left incomplete in 1886, the medieval-looking building was filled with modern technical conveniences, such as running water, a heating system, and toilets with automatic flushing, says Castles of the World. Constructed for King Ludwig, the style is a combination of Byzantine, Gothic and Romanesque, and about a third of the building is complete, with some rooms open to tourists, according to the Tourist Information of Schwangau. Tourists can travel to the castle by bus, by foot, or by horse carriage.

NEXT: A work in progress for more than a century

Sagrada Familia - Spain

Firemen secure the area around the Sagrada Familia after a fire broke out inside the church on April 19, 2011 in Barcelona. (JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)

The work of "God's architect"Antoni Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia is a magnificent unfinished basilica in Barcelona, Spain. Despite being unfinished, the church has already been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was visited by Pope Benedict for masses. When the church was started in 1882, Gaudi knew he wouldn't be alive to see its completion, according to Day News. In fact, his designs were so complex, engineers today still don't know which materials are meant to be used in building certain spires, reported Canadian newspaper Now. Although it's not known precisely when Gaudi's masterpiece will be completed, although it's hoped that it will take less than another century, says the New York Times.

NEXT: A castle in a marsh

BeaumarisCastle - Wales

This medieval fortified castle on the Islande of Anglesey in Wales was built by British monarch King Edward I in 1295. Named for the French term for "fair marsh," its architectural design was one of the most impressive of the 13th century, according to the Beaumaris Anglesey tourism site. King Edward's construction of the castle wasn't exactly popular with the locals - according to the Anglesey County Council, the king moved the surrounding population 14 miles away. But funds ran out in 1298, and the castle was never completed. Despite its age and lack of completion, Beaumaris has weathered the years fairly well and is open to tourists today.

NEXT: A skeleton building

Szkieletor - Krakow, Poland

This imposing shell of a building was started in 1975, with the goal of housing the Polish Federation of Engineering Associations. The 24-story-high building is the tallest in Krakow, and the eerie tower soon acquired the nickname Szkieletor after the the villain in an 80s children show. There are some plans to renovate the building and turn it into a hotel with offices and restaurants, reported the Krakow Post, but for now it serves only as a spot for large s.

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