World

Demolition Porn

Top 10 building implosions, from Las Vegas spectacle to Turkish disaster (VIDEOS)

  1. Texas Stadium (demolished on April 11, 2010; Irving, Texas)
    Former home of the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Stadium represented 38 years of football under a domed roof that the building’s structure couldn’t entirely support. As a result, the dome covered only the stands, but not the playing field. Cowboys linebacker D. D. Lewis famously said, “Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch His favorite team play.” Felled by 2,715 pounds of explosives in 25 seconds, the Texas Stadium grounds will be replaced by a staging area for highway construction. Go inside the demolition here, with an interactive camera panning 360 degrees within the exploding stadium.
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JjV61zYRkE

  3. New Frontier Hotel and Casino (demolished on November 13, 2007; Paradise, Nevada)
    The New Frontier was opened in 1942 as “The Last Frontier,” a Wild West-themed hotel and low-key gambling hall. Over the years, the hotel changed names to “New Frontier” and adopted a space-age theme—in 1956, it hosted Elvis Presley’s Vegas debut in its ‘Venus Room’—but ultimately the decor went back to its cowboy roots. Felled by over 1,000 pounds of explosives, the New Frontier will be replaced by a multibillion-dollar resort belonging to The Plaza chain, set to open in 2011.
  4. Aladdin Hotel and Casino (demolished on April 27, 1998; Las Vegas, Nevada)
    Instead of remodeling or upgrading the 17-floor Arabian-themed 1966 structure, the new owners of the Aladdin demolished the property and rebuilt it from the ground up. A new $1.4 billion mega-resort by the same name popped up in 2000, but due to financial woes was eventually bought and changed to a Planet Hollywood. This implosion was witnessed by an estimated 20,000 onlookers and apparently left behind 50 million pounds of debris.
  5. Market Square Arena (demolished on July 8, 2001; Indianapolis, Indiana)
    Best known as the home of the Indiana Pacers, the Market Square Arena also housed the games of the Indianapolis Racers, the WHA hockey team 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky played on before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. The Arena, which collapsed into 15,000 tons of rubble in less than 15 seconds, was also the site of Elvis Presley’s final concert.
  6. Landmark Tower (demolished on March 18, 2006; Fort Worth, Texas)
    The 380-foot tall, 30-storey Landmark Tower was originally built for the Continental National Bank in 1957. Prior to its implosion, a total area of approximately 15 city blocks was cordoned off and evacuated. From the first blast, it took just 13 seconds for the structure to hit the ground. Owners XTO Energy now use the location for employee parking, and have tentative plans to use site for a new high-rise building to house their corporate headquarters.
  7. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium (demolished on August 2, 1997; Atlanta, Georgia)
    In the late 1960s, the Fulton County Stadium—former home of the Braves—was known for its “ghost town” atmosphere. When new owner Ted Turner took over operations in 1976, he set about remedying this through a series of now-infamous promotions. “Wedlock and Headlock Day” was one event where the team saw 34 couples get married on the field before a game, which was followed by a pro wrestling match. The site imploded in less than thirty seconds, and now holds the parking lot for the new home of the Braves, Turner Field.
  8. Kingdome (demolished on March 26, 2000; Seattle, Washington)
    Home to the Supersonics, Seahawks, Mariners and, less notably, Sounders (Seattle’s North American Soccer League team), the Kingdome was known for hosting major sports events. It opened in 1976 with a 25,000 ton concrete domed roof that was notoriously problematic—leaks were discovered two months before opening and in ’94, waterlogged acoustic ceiling tiles fell into the seating area just a half hour before doors opened to fans. However, poor attendance and revenue are what ultimately brought the Kingdome down. Interested in demolition? Blow up the Kingdome for yourself.
  9. J.L. Hudson Department Store (demolished on October 24, 1998; Detroit, Michigan)
    At 439 ft. tall and 2.2 million square feet, Hudson’s Department Store, second in square footage only to Macy’s flagship store in New York City, is the tallest and largest building ever to have been demolished via implosion. The 33-storey structure was built in 12 separate stages between 1911 and 1946. Mark Loizeaux, President of Controlled Demolition Inc., called the Hudson’s demolition the “greatest dynamic structural control challenge” his company had ever faced.


  10. Landmark Hotel (demolished on November 7, 1995; Las Vegas, Nevada)
    A darling of Hollywood films, the 365-feet-tall Landmark hotel was used to shoot scenes for Diamonds Are Forever, Casino, and Viva Las Vegas. Its implosion will even be forever-immortalized as the Galaxy Hotel destroyed by Martians in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks!. The futuristic hotel, complete with a flying saucer-like dish, opened its doors in 1969 and was owned by eccentric aviator and film producer Howard Hughes. Its former site is now a parking lot.
  11. Flour factory (attempted implosion on August 2, 2009; Cankin, Turkey)
    No one was hurt in this disastrously unsuccessful implosion of a flour factory in Turkey. Instead of imploding, the building tipped over onto its side and rolled, narrowly missing a neighbouring apartment building.
  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx6geRXPItI

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.