We already know history will never forget the name Enterprise, but now architecture won't either.
[seealso slug="build-starship-enterprise"]
There's a building in China that looks almost exactly like the USS Enterprise from Star Trek. Drone footage (which we really wish was set to this music) shows how a relatively conventional-looking building from the ground dramatically transforms into a regal starship when viewed from the air.
Lest you think this is visual trickery done via Holodeck or CGI, the starship/building is clearly visible on Google Maps.
Our tipster explained to us that the building is the headquarters of NetDragon Websoft, a Chinese gaming and mobile Internet company. And it's no Chinese knock-off: Company Chairman Liu DeJian is reportedly an uberTrekkie, licensing from CBS the rights to build an Enterprise replica. Construction began in 2008 and was finished in 2014; the project cost $160 million total.
The building is the only officially licensed Star Trek building on the planet (you had your chance, Las Vegas). Besides its otherworldly shape, the building contains a replica display of a T-Rex dinosaur named Stan discovered in South Dakota in 1987, 30-foot metal slides that provide instant access to the ground floor from the third floor, and automatic sliding gates between each working area.
It's a fantastic homage to the Star Trek franchise, but which Enterprise is it? At first glance, the building looks closest to the Enterprise-E seen in the later Next Generation movies, but there are hints of the Enterprise-D and the starship design from the J.J. Abrams reboot movies.
Fans, let's settle this in the comments. Everyone else, just sit back and enjoy the ride.