10 abandoned skyscrapers

There are many empty, abandoned and destroyed skyscrapers. Sometimes they just become obsolete. Sometimes they become too dangerous for further exploitation. Sometimes they are not completed at all.

Whatever the reason, these buildings have a history, and for people seeing their abandoned state, they serve as a constant reminder of their past. This top contains 10 famous empty skyscrapers.

10. Sterick Building, Memphis, USA

The Sterick Building was built in 1930. At the time, it was the tallest building in the southern United States. It held the position of the tallest in Tennessee until 1957 and was known as the "Queen of Memphis".

Initially, the skyscraper was used as an office building, and many pleasant bonuses such as a hairdresser, pharmacy, beauty salon, brokerage office and its own bank made it quite a popular place.

The building's decline in popularity began in the 1960s. Attempts were made to revive it, for example, to repaint the facade from white to the still-preserved yellow-beige color.

The building was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1978. But by 1980 the building was empty and still remains abandoned. Despite the fact that its renovation could bring a good income, some environmental and legal reasons make it impossible to renovate it.

9. Financial Center Confinance, Caracas, Venezuela

In 1990, construction began on a new financial center in Caracas. It was assumed that the building will be called the Financial Center Confinansas (Centro Financiero Confinanzas), however, in fact, the skyscraper began to be called "Tower of David", in honor of the main investor of the project, David Brillemburg.

Unfortunately, David Brillembourg died in 1993, and in 1994 a banking crisis hit, and the Venezuelan authorities took control of the construction site into their own hands. Since then, the construction of the skyscraper has been halted.

The building lacks some essential components such as running water, electricity, and in some places even a roof and windows, making it unusable. But in 2007, when Venezuela was going through a severe housing crisis, thousands of people still illegally populated the 45-story skyscraper.

In 2004, the government carried out an operation to clear the building of the "invaders". Despite this, the Financial Center is still not in operation and is unlikely to be used in the near future.

8. Tower Insignia, Mexico City, Mexico

Insignia Tower (Torre Insignia) - 25-storey, triangular skyscraper, which at the time of construction in 1962 was the second tallest building in Mexico. After the official opening in 1964, the building was used as the administration of the local residential complex.

It was later used as the headquarters of the National Bank for Public Works of Mexico, until evacuated by the 1985 earthquake.

Since then, the skyscraper has not been used. There have been several attempts to restore the dilapidated building, the most recent being in 2011. The Insignia Tower has a colossal historical significance for the region.

It also has a large carillon, the melody of which sounded every day during the operation of the tower. In other words, bringing the skyscraper back into operation would have a positive effect on the city.

7. Plaza Tower, New Orleans, USA

Looking at the New Orleans skyline, the first thing you see is the Plaza Tower. This 45-story skyscraper was built in 1968 and is still the third tallest building in New Orleans.

The skyscraper was used as an office building until tenants complained about mold and asbestos, which forced them to leave in 2002. After that, work began on cleaning the building from mold and asbestos.

The building was auctioned off in 2011 for an unspecified cost. It is still unknown whether work will be carried out on the reconstruction of the skyscraper. The Plaza Tower was the tallest skyscraper in New Orleans at the time of construction and has been an integral part of the Orleans skyline ever since.

6. Beech Tower, Detroit, USA

In 1916, a 13-story building called The Book Building was built in Detroit, Michigan. Many years later, a 38-story skyscraper was added to it and the whole structure became known as the Book Tower.

The skyscraper was named after the local Buck brothers and was the tallest building in the city for two years, until the Penobscot Building bypassed it in 1928. The building was used even during the Great Depression and was an important part of the city for decades.

However, in the 1970s, a difficult period came for Detroit and many companies left the city, leaving behind abandoned buildings. Despite being listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the Book Tower was still unable to withstand the city's downturn.

Financial troubles flooded the Book Tower: lawsuits and unpaid mortgages led to multiple changes of ownership of the building, and the number of tenants fell sharply. The last tenant left the skyscraper in 2009, which led to its closure.

Shortly thereafter, Detroit authorities announced their intentions to turn the Book Tower into a residential complex, but no real measures have yet been followed.

5. Tower of Abraham Lincoln, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Abraham Lincoln Tower is one of two buildings constructed as part of a large-scale development project in the 1960s. It was planned to build 76 residential towers, but only two of them were built.

The architects of the building were Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, who were responsible for the design of the city of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Construction on the Abraham Lincoln Tower began in 1969 and was halted in 1972 due to doubts about the strength of the structure. The building was never put into operation.

However, next to the unfinished skyscraper stands its twin - the Charles de Gaulle Tower, which was completed and is currently in use. The Charles de Gaulle Tower is, in fact, an illustration of what the completed Tower of Abraham Lincoln should have looked like.

4. Fontainebleu Resort, Las Vegas, USA

Construction of the newest building on the list of abandoned skyscrapers, the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas, began in 2007. The project involved a 220-meter skyscraper consisting of a hotel and a resort center.

Upon completion, the hotel was to become the tallest building in Las Vegas and significantly increase the profits of the so-called Sin City. But the economic crisis prevented the implementation of the plans.

the banks, which had initially offered up to $ 800 million to build the building, backtracked, leading to litigation between the banks and Fontainebleu. In 2009, the developer was declared bankrupt and the project was never completed. Fontainebleu is currently built in Miami, Florida.

The 68-storey skyscraper remained unfinished. Since the suspension of construction, there has been talk of continuing the project and even selling property to new developers. In April 2017, a decision was made on the construction of a new facade. However, the further fate of the building is still unknown.

3. Burj Al Murr, Beirut, Lebanon

Burj Al Murr is a 34-story building in Beirut with a rich and significant history. The tower was to become an office building and a shopping center. Construction was halted in 1975, at the same time as the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war.

Due to the height and location of the skyscraper, it was immediately captured by the military and used as a tactical deployment during the battles in Beirut. According to some reports, the city was shelled from the upper floors, and prisoners were kept on the lower floors.

There are many versions about how exactly the Burj al-Murr was used during the hostilities. Despite the fact that most of the city was eventually damaged, the skyscraper was completely damaged more than once.

However, the war still affected the building: the damage was so great that further development of the tower was not possible. Today, the skyscraper serves as a reminder of the tragic events that took place several decades ago.

2. Sathorn Unique, Bangkok, Thailand

Like Fontainebleu, Sathorn Unique fell victim to economic decline.

Construction on Sathorn Unique, which is 49 stories high, began in 1990, during the economic boom in Thailand. The building was on schedule and was almost completed when the Asian economic crisis hit.

Due to the lack of funding and the arrest of the building's architect for preparing for the murder, construction was frozen.

Today Sathorn Unique is called "The Ghost Tower". Rumor has it that the graffiti-painted, dilapidated building is haunted. As a result, the skyscraper has become a magnet for seekers and ghost hunters, as well as for vandals and vagabonds.

This problem has become such that measures have been taken to completely close the building. However, bystanders still manage to get inside. Until today, there is no information about the continuation of construction, and the deplorable state of the skyscraper only complicates the situation.

1. Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

Construction of this huge skyscraper began in Pyongyang in 1987. If construction were completed on time, it would be the tallest hotel in the world. The Ryugyong Hotel was the first skyscraper outside of New York or Chicago to have more than 100 stories. This is the largest hotel in the world ... and it is still incomplete.

In 1992 the construction of the hotel was in its final stages. The North Korean economy plunged into crisis and the construction of the hotel had to be postponed.

Having already reached its highest point, this building, for 16 years, was like a huge concrete eyesore. Then, in 2008, an Egyptian company set about relaunching the project. In particular, a new glass facade of the building was made, but the interior was not repaired, and the construction was again stopped.

Finally, in 2013, the long-awaited opening of the hotel was announced, which never took place due to unfinished finishing works. After that, there were several more unconfirmed rumors about the next launch of the project, which in the end did not lead to anything.

Thirty years after construction began, Ryugyong Hotel is still incomplete. It is still a mystery when the largest hotel in the world will open its doors.