List of tallest voluntarily demolished buildings

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Voluntary building demolition is the decision by either the landowner or a higher government body to demolish a structure for any number of reasons, ranging from severe structural damage to the redevelopment of the land the building sits upon. Involuntary (or unplanned) building demolitions, such as the collapse of a building during a severe earthquake or by a terrorist attack, are not included in this list.

The demolition of especially high buildings presents unique challenges, especially when their location is within densely populated areas of their respective cities. Buildings particularly tall are most often deconstructed floor-by-floor down to the building's basement, as opposed to controlled implosion of the structure, which would most likely damage surrounding structures.

The following list includes the tallest demolished buildings, with an height of at least 100 meters (328 ft)

Rank  | Building name  | City  | Country  | Height  | Floors  | Year completed  | Year demolished  | Method  | Reason

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(m)  | (ft)
1 | AXA Tower | Singapore |  Singapore | 235 | 771 | 52 | 1986 | 2023 | Deconstruction | Demolished for redevelopment of the tower's site.
2 | 270 Park Avenue | New York |  United States | 215 | 707 | 52 | 1960 | 2021 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for a taller building at 270 Park Avenue.[1]
3 | Singer Building | New York |  United States | 187 | 612 | 47 | 1908 | 1968 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for One Liberty Plaza.
4  | CPF Building | Singapore |  Singapore | 171  | 561  | 46  | 1976  | 2017  | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for a 29-storey office tower (only 10 meters taller). 2nd tallest building ever to be demolished in Asia.
5  | Meena Plaza I  | Abu Dhabi |  United Arab Emirates | 168.5  | 553  | 46  | 2014 (halted)  | 2020  | Implosion | Topped out, but never completed. Tallest building ever to be demolished using explosives.[2]
6 | Fuji Xerox Towers | Singapore |  Singapore | 165 | 541 | 38 | 1987 | 2023 | Deconstruction | Demolished for redevelopment of the tower's site.
7 | World Trade Center (Tokyo) | Tokyo |  Japan | 163 | 533 | 40 | 1970 | 2023 | Deconstruction | Demolished as part of the Hamamatsucho Station West Entrance District redevelopment
8 | Morrison Hotel | Chicago |  United States | 160 | 526 | 45 | 1925 | 1965 | Manual | Demolished to make way for Bank One Plaza.
9 | Deutsche Bank Building | New York |  United States | 158 | 518 | 39 | 1974 | 2011 | Deconstruction | Heavily damaged from the September 11 attacks.
10 | UIC Building | Singapore |  Singapore | 152 | 499 | 40 | 1973 | 2013 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for V on Shenton.
t-11 | One Meridian Plaza | Philadelphia |  United States | 150 | 492 | 38 | 1972 | 1999 | Deconstruction | Heavily damaged from a fire on February 23, 1991.
t-11 | Tun Razak Tower | Kuala Lumpur |  Malaysia | 150 | 492 | 35 | 1983 | 2014 | Deconstruction | Damaged from the 2014 fire that broke out on the 27th floor of the building.
13 | City Investing Building | New York |  United States | 148 | 487 | 33 | 1908 | 1968 | Manual | Demolished to make way for One Liberty Plaza.
14 | Mizuho Bank Uchisaiwaichō Head Office Building | Tokyo |  Japan | 143 | 469 | 38 | 1981 | 2023 | Deconstruction | Demolished as part of the Uchisaiwaicho 1-Chome District Redevelopment
15 | The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong | Hong Kong |  Hong Kong | 142 | 465 | 31 | 1993 | 2009 | Manual | Demolished to make way for China Construction Bank Tower.
16 | Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka | Tokyo |  Japan | 141 | 463 | 39 | 1982 | 2013 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for Tokyo Garden Terrace.
17 | Hennessy Centre | Hong Kong |  Hong Kong | 140 | 458 | 41 | 1983 | 2008 | Manual | Demolished to make way for Hysan Place.
t-18 | The Harmon Hotel | Paradise |  United States | 138 | 453 | 47 | 2009 (halted) | 2015 | Manual | Found to be structurally deficient and subsequently ordered demolished; never opened.
t-18 | Funkhaus am Raderberggürtel [de] | Cologne |  Germany | 138 | 453 | 34 | 1980 | 2019 | Deconstruction | Partial vacancy since 2003.
t-20 | Ardmore Park Old Block 1 | Singapore |  Singapore | 137 | 449 | 36 | 1978 | 1997 | Manual | Demolished to build new structures on the site.[3]
t-20 | Ardmore Park Old Block 2 | Singapore |  Singapore | 137 | 449 | 36 | 1978 | 1997 | Manual | Demolished to build new structures on the site.
t-20 | Ardmore Park Old Block 3 | Singapore |  Singapore | 137 | 449 | 36 | 1978 | 1997 | Manual | Demolished to build new structures on the site.
23  | Shaw Tower | Singapore |  Singapore | 134 | 440  | 35  | 1975  | 2020  | Deconstruction | Demolished for redevelopment of the tower’s site.
24 | J. L. Hudson Department Store and Addition | Detroit |  United States | 134 | 439 | 29 | 1911 | 1998 | Implosion | Bankruptcy of J.L. Hudson Department Store; replaced by the Hudson's Tower in 2017 with construction expected to be completed in 2024.
25 | National City Company Building | New York |  United States | 131 | 432 | 32 | 1928 | 1982 | Manual | Demolished to make way for 60 Wall Street.
26  | Palace II | Rio de Janeiro |  Brazil | 130 | 426  | 22  | 1995  | 1998  | Implosion | Partially collapsed on February 22, 1998 due to engineering error.
t-27 | Savoy-Plaza Hotel | New York |  United States | 128 | 420 | 33 | 1927 | 1965 | Manual | Demolished to make way for the General Motors Building.
t-27 | State Office Block | Sydney |  Australia | 128 | 420 | 32 | 1965 | 1997 | Manual | Demolished to make way for Aurora Place.
29 | The Excelsior | Hong Kong |  Hong Kong | 126 | 414 | 37 | 1973 | 2019 | Manual | Demolished to make way for a 135m tall office tower.
30 | CAGA House | Sydney |  Australia | 125 | 410 | 30 | 1977 | 1992 | Manual | Demolished to make way for Governor Phillip Tower.
31 | Bayer-Hochhaus | Leverkusen |  Germany | 122 | 400 | 32 | 1963 | 2012 | Manual | Various issues with structure.
32 | Empire Landmark Hotel | Vancouver |  Canada | 120 | 393 | 42 | 1973 | 2019 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for a pair of new high-rise residential towers.
33 | Landmark Tower | Fort Worth |  United States | 120 | 393.6 | 30 | 1952 | 2006 | Implosion | Abandoned since 1990, and later damaged in a tornado in 2000. The cost to renovate the building was deemed not viable.
34 | Asahi Seimei Otemachi Building | Tokyo |  Japan | 119.6 | 392 | 29 | 1971 | 2023 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for Torch Tower.
35 | First National Bank Building | Pittsburgh |  United States | 118 | 387 | 26 | 1912 | 1969 | Manual | Demolished to make way for One PNC Plaza.
36  | Jinhua Building | Xi'an |  China | 118 | 387 | 21 | 1996 | 2015 | Implosion | Demolished for redevelopment of the tower's property. It was not used for decades even though it was legally the property of Jinhua Pharmaceutical Factory.
37 | Centre International Rogier | Brussels |  Belgium | 117 | 384 | 30 | 1960 | 2001 | Manual | Demolished to make way for Rogier Tower.
38 | AfE-Turm | Frankfurt |  Germany | 116 | 381 | 32 | 1972 | 2014 | Implosion | Demolished for redevelopment of the tower's site. Tallest building to have been imploded in Europe.
39 | Ocean Tower | South Padre Island |  United States | 115 | 379 | 30 | 2008 (halted) | 2009 | Implosion | Demolished after cracks were found in the building's supporting columns, and various other deficiencies, were discovered during construction. Never opened.
t-40 | Trinity Court Building | New York |  United States | 114 | 374 | 26 | 1927 | 2015 | Manual | Demolished to make way for 76 Trinity Place
t-40 | Capital One Tower | Lake Charles |  United States | 114 | 374 | 30 | 1983 | 2024 | Implosion | Severely damaged by Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta in 2020 and subsequently left vacant until its demolition in September 2024.
42  | Pearl Bank Apartments | Singapore |  Singapore | 113  | 372  | 38  | 1976  | 2019  | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for One Pearl Bank.
43 | Richfield Tower | Los Angeles |  United States | 113 | 372 | 13 | 1929 | 1969 | Manual | Demolished to make way for City National Plaza.
44  | Edifício São Vito | São Paulo |  Brazil | 112  | 367  | 27  | 1959  | 2011  | Manual | Building fell into disrepair.
45 | Landmark Hotel and Casino Las Vegas | Paradise |  United States | 111 | 364 | 31 | 1969 | 1995 | Implosion | Demolished to make way for a parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center.
t-46 | Wilson Mendes Caldeira Building [pt] | São Paulo |  Brazil | 110 | 361 | 32 | 1963 | 1975 | Implosion | Imploded to make way for the Sé metro station and Praça da Sé.
t-46 | Furama Hong Kong Hotel | Hong Kong |  Hong Kong | 110 | 360 | 32 | 1973 | 2002 | Manual | Demolished to make way for AIA Central.
t-46 | Chongqing passenger transport building / Chaotianmen Hotel | Chongqing |  China | 110 | 360 | 32 | 1996 | 2012 | Implosion | Demolished to make way for Raffles City.
49 | Yamato Seimei Building | Tokyo |  Japan | 109 | 359 | 26 | 1984 | 2023 | Deconstruction | Demolished as part of the Uchisaiwaicho 1-Chome District Redevelopment
50 | Stardust Resort & Casino Las Vegas | Winchester |  United States | 108 | 354 | 32 | 1990 | 2007 | Implosion | Demolished to make way for Echelon Place and Resorts World Las Vegas.
t-51 | Lisbon Bank Building | Johannesburg |  South Africa | 108 | 354 | 26 | 1967 | 2019 | Implosion | A fire in 2018 caused the structure to be deemed unstable.[4][5][6]
t-51 | Yufeng building | Nanchang |  China | 108 | 354 | 26 | 1990 | 2017 | Implosion
t-53 | Sheraton Lincoln Hotel | Houston |  United States | 107 | 352 | 28 | 1962 | 2011 | Deconstruction | The hotel had sat vacant since 1986 at the time of its demolition.
t-53 | Millennium Hotel Cincinnati | Cincinnati |  United States | 107 | 350 | 32 | 1977 | 2022 | Manual |
t-55 | Windsor Tower | Madrid |  Spain | 106 | 348 | 32 | 1979 | 2005 | Manual | Heavily damaged from a fire on February 12, 2005.
t-55  | Hotel Sofitel Tokyo | Tokyo |  Japan | 106 | 348  | 26  | 1994  | 2008  | Deconstruction |
t-55  | Manhattan Life Insurance Building | New York |  United States | 106 | 348  | 18  | 1894  | 1963 or 1964  | Manual |
t-58 | Farmers Bank Building | Pittsburgh |  United States | 105 | 345 | 27 | 1902 | 1997 | Implosion | Demolished due to a lack of tenants.
t-58 | Crowne Plaza Hotel | Kuala Lumpur |  Malaysia | 105 | 345 | 26 | 1973 | 2014 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for the proposed Tradewinds Square.
t-60 | Capital Plaza Tower | Frankfort |  United States | 103 | 338 | 28 | 1972 | 2018 | Implosion | Falling concrete and water leaks from the building were reported in its later years. It was demolished to make way for a new 5-story office building, park, and 1,100-space parking garage.
t-60  | Supertech Apex Tower | Noida |  India | 103  | 338  | 32  | 2009-2012 (halted)  | 2022  | Implosion | Demolished due to Violation of National Building Code, along with the slightly smaller Ceyane Tower.
t-62  | New York Tribune Building | New York |  United States | 102 | 335  | 19  | 1875  | 1966  | Manual |
t-62 | Enterprise House | Melbourne |  Australia | 102 | 336 | 24 | 1973 | 2020 | Deconstruction | Demolished to redevelop the tower's site.
t-64 | Friedrich-Engelhorn-Hochhaus | Ludwigshafen |  Germany | 101 | 333 | 28 | 1957 | 2014 | Manual | Demolished for the new BASF headquarters building.
t-64 | Martin Tower | Bethlehem |  United States | 101 | 332 | 21 | 1972 | 2019 | Implosion | Demolished for mixed-use rezoning of the tower's property.
t-66 | Sparkasse Hagen Tower | Hagen |  Germany | 101 | 331 | 21 | 1975 | 2004 | Implosion | Damage from water leakage problems.
t-66 | Tower Building | Baltimore |  United States | 101 | 330 | 16 | 1912 | 1986 | Manual |
t-68 | Drapers' Gardens | London |  United Kingdom | 100 | 328 | 30 | 1967 | 2007 | Deconstruction | Demolished for redevelopment of the tower's site.
t-68 | Southwark Towers | London |  United Kingdom | 100 | 328 | 25 | 1976 | 2008 | Deconstruction | Demolished to make way for The Shard.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Young, Michael (June 7, 2021). "270 Park Avenue's Demolition is Complete While New Steel Superstructure Rises in Midtown East". New York Yimby. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
2. ^ "Meena Plaza I, Abu Dhabi". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved 2020-11-27.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
3. ^ Lee, Arthur (21 January 1997). "Breaking up is hard to do". Business Times. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
4. ^ "37 Sauer Street, Johannesburg". Emporis. Retrieved 2019-11-24.[dead link‍]
5. ^ "Almost 900kg of explosives used to demolish Bank of Lisbon building". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
6. ^ "Building where fatal fire started was bad' but it was not the worst". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2019-11-24.

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