There are some places in the world we can all immediately picture in our minds when we hear their names. The rushing waters of Niagara Falls. The busy bustle of Times Square. The ancient majesty of Machu Picchu. Again and again we've all seen their images, maybe even visited them ourselves, so that we might imagine there could not possibly be anything new for us to discover about them.

At DesignCrowd we thought it would be fun to gain new perspective on these famous landmarks. What would some of the world's busiest tourist attractions look like without people? And what would happen if those landmarks themselves were to suddenly disappear? We asked our talented Photoshop designers to show us the world's most recognizable places in ways we've never seen before, first by getting rid of the crowds, then re-imagining cities without their famous landmarks.

Here you can see some of our favorite entries from both contests. Enjoy!

Paris without the Eiffel Tower

Paris, the city of romance. Whilst Paris is filled with iconic landmarks - think Arc De Triumph, Sacre Ceur and more, would Paris still be the same without its Eiffel Tower? We don't think so.

Dried-up Niagara Falls

Seeing the infamous waterfalls drained of water is as visually arresting as it is politically pertinent amid never-ending debates on how to tackle climate change. Designer Jkrebs04 executed this image with great technical proficiency, and his attention to detail in drying up the river and surrounding vegetation results in a beautifully rendered image of a dystopian landscape.

Deserted Times Square

Times Square in the heart of New York City is equally well known for its dazzling display of billboards and advertisements as it is for its overwhelming crowds. Imagications brought to life the image of what many a visitor to the iconic square secretly imagined in frustration – can't they all just disappear?

The Colosseum replaced by McDonalds

Progress is inevitable, and many a cynic would say that commercialism has taken over our collective psyche beyond all reason. Replacing the majestic Colosseum with a McDonald's drive-through would certainly speak for that. Thankfully it hasn't happened (yet).

Machu Picchu disappeared

For years the impressive ruins of Machu Picchu have been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The lost city of the Incas has some going so far as to assume ancient Alien life forms involved in its construction. We imagine the rumor mill would be fed a thousand times over if the city suddenly disappeared altogether.

The Taj Mahal just for you

The Taj Mahal is both stunning and highly impressive, so it's no surprise it draws some 3 million visitors each year. Skipping those cues and taking those amazing photos without some wandering into your shot would be tempting to say the least. Here's a vision of what that could look like.

Mount Rushmore Without the Presidents

DesignCrowd designeriMAGICationshelped us imagine what popular US tourist destination, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, would've looked like before the faces of former US presidents George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln's were carved out of the rock.

Sydney Harbour without the Opera House

The Opera House is one of the most recognisable symbols of Sydney, if not Australia. But we have to admit the Opera Square looks quite tempting without its icon too. Music festival space anyone? And just imagine the added viewing space for New Years' fireworks over Harbour Bridge.

You can view all the designs for these two community contests: Imagine cities without people and cities with missing landmarks on DesignCrowd.

Comment on This Article:

Which famous missing landmark did you like best? Ever been anywhere and wished to see the crowds abducted by aliens? Tell us in the comments below!

Want More?

DesignCrowd contests are a great way to challenge our designers while having some fun. Check out these recent competitions here:

DesignCrowd Web Design Contest: Vince Vaughn Stock Photos

See Aussie Politicians Re-Imagined As Game of Thrones Characters

12 Big Brands Get a Hipster Makeover

Crowdsource Creative Design for Your Brand or Business Today.

Find freelance graphic design jobs now, or learn about the benefits when you join DesignCrowd today.

DesignCrowd's 400,000+ designers are a talented bunch. If you have a similar project in mind or need a graphic design to promote your company or organisation you can invite designers from DesignCrowd's designer directory directly to your project for free.

Written by Jo Sabin on Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Jo Sabin is Head of Designer Community at DesignCrowd. She's led the company's public relations and social media programs since 2012. With more than ten years' experience working with Australian and international tech startups in the creative industries, Jo has been instrumental in meeting DesignCrowd's objectives in Australia and abroad. Get in touch via Twitter.