The Ten Tallest Abandoned Skyscrapers in the World
Skyscrapers often form an iconic skyline for a city, but sometimes the tallest buildings fall into disrepair or are left unfinished. Abandoned structures can be a sign of financial or social problems, and cities have to decide what to do with them. Some are left to rust, others are torn down, and some are given a second life, writes Yahoo! with reference to Business Insider.
Фото: Depositphotos
In the mid-20th century, many older buildings in the United States were torn down. That's not the best option for sustainability, says Sean Ursini, senior manager of the buildings database at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
“Many of these buildings still have a lot of life left in them,” he said. “Maybe we just need to be more creative in finding new uses for them.”
He said CTBUH does not keep track of abandoned structures because it does not monitor their occupancy after construction is completed. However, the organization monitors many abandoned construction projects around the world.
"As a rule, if a project is frozen, there still remains a desire to complete it," Ursini noted. Although such attempts are not always successful.
We present 10 of the tallest skyscrapers in the world that are currently empty or unfinished.
Beirut Trade Center, Beirut (140 meters)
During the Lebanese Civil War of 1975–1990, snipers took up positions in several buildings in Beirut, leading to the so-called Battle of the Hotels.
Construction on the 40-story Beirut Trade Center, known as the Burj al-Murr or “tower of bitterness,” began in 1974, just a year before the war began. By the time the $2004 million building was 15 percent complete, Executive Magazine reported in 70.
In addition to office space, the skyscraper was planned to house a cinema and a restaurant, accessible by helicopter.
Architect Camillo Boano and urban planner Dalia Chabarek described it as a scarred war artifact that is "difficult to destroy" or restore.
Several artists have incorporated the unfinished building into their work. In 2018, according to Archinect, Jad El Khoury placed a temporary installation there, decorating the windows with colorful curtains and turning it into Burj El Hawa, the “tower of air.”
Plaza Tower, New Orleans (162 meters)
Photo: Khairil Azhar Junos | Dreamstime.com
One of New Orleans' tallest skyscrapers has become a menace in the decades since it was built in the 1960s.
Although the $15,5 million building included some residential units, it was primarily used for offices. In 2002, tenants, including the Orleans Parish attorney, complained that toxic mold was making them sick. The Times-Picayune reported in 2014 that the building underwent major renovations after Hurricane Katrina because of mold and asbestos.
But the problems continued: in 2021, a cladding panel fell from the skyscraper and hit a cyclist, in 2022 there was a fire, and in 2023 a man died after falling from one of the floors.
Despite efforts to save the Plaza Tower, Ursini said, "the city has proven that the building has become a public safety hazard."
As The Times-Picayune reported in January of this year, authorities are preparing to demolish the structure, although the current owner hopes to find a buyer.
909 Chestnut Street, St. Louis (179 meters)
In 2022, Rosin Preservation prepared a report calling for the building at 909 Chestnut Street, known as One AT&T Center, to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1985, it is one of the tallest in the state, with a report saying its "fortress-like base" and "facade that appears to stretch infinitely."
AT&T did not renew its lease in 2017, and the building has sat empty ever since, according to commercial real estate tracker CoStar. In 2024, Goldman Group bought it for $3,6 million, a fraction of its 2006 price of $205 million.
“At this price, it’s practically a blank slate, since the building is being acquired for next to nothing,” Ursini concluded.
The real estate company, Fox2 reported in January, plans to build 600 apartments, a pickleball court and a movie theater there.
Sathorn Unique, Bangkok (185 meters)
Photo: Tianyi Wang | Dreamstime.com
Known as Thailand's Ghost Tower, this majestic skyscraper broke ground in 1990. The 47-story building was 80% complete when the Asian financial crisis of 1997 hit.
Architectural Digest reported in 2023 that the skyscraper's architect was accused of orchestrating a murder that never took place, but was later acquitted.
The unfinished luxury apartment complex has fallen into disrepair, and thrill-seekers risk injury when exploring if they break in. Exposed wires and rusty metal are just some of the dangers.
Centro Financiero Confinanzas, Caracas, Venezuela (190 meters)
Photo: Pedro Euclides Gutierrez Leal | Dreamstime.com
For years, this empty 45-story skyscraper, known as the Torre de David (Tower of David), was called the tallest slum in the world.
At one time, The New Yorker wrote that banker David Brillembourg hoped to create a Venezuelan analogue of Wall Street in this building, but the financial crisis in the country and Brillembourg's death forced construction to be stopped in 1994.
About 3000 people moved into the concrete shell of the building, turning it into a full-fledged community with electricity, grocery stores, and running water, Slate reported in 2014. However, the building was deemed unsafe, and the residents were evicted that same year, the BBC reported.
In 2018, a powerful earthquake damaged the upper floors of the Tower of David, Reuters reported.
1 Seaport, New York (204 meters)
Priced from $1 million to $1,5 million, 20 Seaport condos offered luxury with infinity pools, sweeping views and XNUMX-foot ceilings. Buyers were eager to book them, putting down hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits.
In 2017, a carpenter working on the $273 million building fell to his death, according to The New Yorker. Later, Curbed reported in 2021, the building was found to be sinking and leaning to the left, and contractors and developers began to shift blame.
One lawyer involved in numerous court cases compared the leaning structure to a banana. Although the building is unlikely to collapse, construction has been halted since 2020.
Oceanwide Plaza, Los Angeles (206 meters)
Photo: Walter Cicchetti | Dreamstime.com
The three-tower, unfinished Oceanwide Plaza has become famous for the street artists who have painted its facade. Last year, thrill-seekers even BASE-jumped from its roof.
At one time, the monthly magazine The Los Angeles Times reported that the ambitious project, estimated to cost $1 billion, was supposed to become an elite residential complex with a five-star hotel. However, after construction was halted in 2019, it is only 60% complete. As the same Los Angeles Magazine wrote last year, the company Oceanwide Holdings, responsible for the project, filed for forced bankruptcy.
According to The Wall Street Journal, approximately $800 million will be needed to complete construction.
Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea (330 m)
Photo: Smith371 | Dreamstime.com
Towering above the buildings around it, the pyramidal Ryugyong earned the nickname Hotel of Rock after it stood empty and unfinished for more than a decade in the center of North Korea's largest city.
Construction of the 105-story building began in 1987 under Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong-un's grandfather. In 1992, the economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union led to work being halted before windows and concrete cladding had been installed.
Since then, work has been on and off again, and it is not known when the building will be completed. In 2008, Reuters reported that completion would cost about 2 billion.
“It’s bare concrete inside,” tour operator Simon Cockerell told Australia’s 9news after visiting the building in 2023.
There is now a giant LED screen outside that broadcasts propaganda.
Skycity, Mandaluyong, Philippines (335 meters)
This is another project that was never implemented.
Skycity was originally intended to be the tallest building in the Philippines. Esquire Philippines reports that the 77-story skyscraper was planned to house a hotel, luxury apartments, and a bar.
However, neighboring homeowners protested when the site was being prepared in 1997. They feared that the 1000-foot-tall (305-meter) building would create a giant shadow.
A protracted legal battle ensued, and funding for the $85 million project was cut off. The site is now just a huge, overgrown hole.
Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China (597 m)
No building in the area is taller than the rusting, unfinished Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in Tianjin, a city in northern China. It was supposed to house a hotel, luxury apartments and office space.
Construction began in 2008. According to the design, the top of the building was to be crowned with a diamond-shaped atrium, reminiscent of a sparkling stone on the handle of a cane.
The atrium's observation deck and restaurant would have offered visitors breathtaking views of the city centre. However, in the mid-2010s, developer Goldin Group ran into financial difficulties.
At that time, $10 billion was needed to complete the project, Forbes wrote in 2022.
"There is no cladding on the façade and the building is just sitting there waiting for the work to resume," Ursini concluded. It remains empty.
Read also on ForumDaily:
Ten US Cities with Unusual Architecture
Subscribe to ForumDaily on Google NewsDo you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.
Editor's Choice
