All skyscrapers start the same. They’re designed by inventive architects who have great plans for them. Whether to house private residences or office blocks, the concept of a skyscraper is one of modern mankind’s most significant achievements.
But not all skyscrapers end up living up to their high expectation. Some cities are home to entirely eerie ghost-like skyscrapers that have been abandoned either because of financial, political, or legal complications. Some are just the result of unfortunate timing and circumstances.
Once impressive skyscrapers towering over some of the world’s most famous skylines, these skyscrapers sit abandoned and eerie, and each has an interesting story to tell:
7. Sterick Building, Memphis, Tennessee
The Sterick Building is a grand example of a Gothic-style skyscraper that soars above the skyline in Memphis, Tennessee. It was built in 1929 as a multipurpose building with offices, a barber shop, and a pharmacy. At one stage, it was called the ‘Queen of Memphis’ for its grandeur and beauty, even listed as the tallest building in the Southern U.S. until 1957.
In its heyday, it housed offices for stockbrokers, Chrysler, and even the FBI. However, as the city developed and more modern buildings were built downtown, the building began to lose popularity. Now, it’s been unoccupied since 1986. Talks are in the works to revitalize the building as a residential complex – I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
6. Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea
When it was built in the late 20th century, the Ryugyong Hotel was meant to be the tallest hotel in the world. It boasted a staggering 3,000 rooms across 105 stories. However, with a political sphere as complicated as North Korea’s, it was soon abandoned due to a lack of tourists visiting the area. The structure is hard to miss — it’s a massive pyramid rising 1080 feet high.
Construction started in 1987, but it stopped in 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union. The hotel remained unfinished until 2008 when the exterior was finally completed in 2011. Forty years after construction started, the building is a ghost of North Korea, unused and deserted.
5. Oceanwide Plaza, Los Angeles, California
You wouldn’t think buildings could go abandoned in the center of North America’s most bustling city, but the Oceanwide Plaza would prove otherwise. The buildings, which consist of three towers across 4.6 acres, were poised to be a landmark of luxury in downtown LA.
Construction began in 2015 with an incredible vision of upscale condos and retail spaces. However, by 2019, financial issues caused the entire project to come to a grinding halt. Today, the towers are still unfinished and stand as an abandoned zone in the middle of the busy city.
Today, the towers are a modern canvas for graffiti artists. So much so that locals often call them the ‘Graffiti Towers.’
4. Tower of David, Venezuela
The Tower of David has been a part of the skyline of Caracas in Venezuela since the late 20th century. It was supposed to be a symbol of power and prosperity in the country, and to this day, is one of the tallest buildings in Latin America.
But, instead of the banking hub it was intended to be, the building became a home for the homeless. Construction began in 1990 but was put on hold in 1994 when the main investor in the project died. After this, a housing crisis forced over 700 families to find refuge in the abandoned building. These families lived in the concrete skeleton of the skyscraper until it was cleared out in 2015. Almost a decade later, it still sits totally abandoned.
3. Plaza Tower, New Orleans, USA
Standing 45 stories tall since the 1960s, Plaza Tower was once the tallest building in New Orleans. Today, it is the third tallest. In its prime, it was used as an office block in the New Orleans CBD and marked the beginning of the modern skyscrapers in the city.
That was until 2002 when an asbestos and mold outbreak led to health issues and a mass evacuation. Some call it an eyesore of the skyline; others see it as an eerie reminder of the past. Whatever it is, it will, supposedly, cost tens of millions of dollars to demolish it.
2. Sathorn Unique, Bangkok, Thailand
Sathorn Tower looks a bit like a scene from a post-apocalyptic film. The unique building rises 49 floors above the ground and is designed with curved balconies. It was meant to live out its life as a luxury condo block but never saw its vision come to life. Construction came to a stop in 1997 when the Asian financial crisis hit Bangkok.
Since then, the tower has been called the ‘Ghost Tower’ and is deemed too dangerous to enter. In addition to being the victim of a declining economy, the unexpected halt in construction is also said to have been caused by the architect’s arrest for a murder plot.
1. Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China
At the very top of our list, Goldin Finance 117 is said to be the world’s tallest abandoned building. It was 1957 feet tall, reaching up to 128 stories, when the project stopped in 2015 due to the Chinese stock market crash. At this time, it was the fifth tallest building on the planet.
It was meant to be a centerpiece of the city, home to luxury condos. But to this day, this incredibly tall skyscraper remains unfinished and has never been occupied.
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