Before we get to the countdown, a caveat: this list only considers buildings that were demolished on purpose by their owners. If it included all tall structures that are no longer standing, number one, two and four would be occupied by the three World Trade Center buildings tragically destroyed on September 11th, 2001.

Data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the recognized authority on skyscraper height, served as the primary source.

10. Savoy-Plaza Hotel, New York City

Photos: New York Architecture, Wikimedia

Height: 446 feet, 33 stories
Completed: 1930
Demolished: 1964 – to make way for the General Motors Building.
Interesting fact: A scene in episode one, season two of Mad Men has Don and Betty Draper celebrating Valentine’s Day with drinks and room service at The Savoy-Plaza Hotel in 1962, two years before it was demolished in real-life.

9. Ardmore Park Block One, Two and Three, Singapore

Photo: imgur

Height: 449 feet, 36 stories
Completed: 1978
Demolished: 2009 – to make way for a new condo development.
Interesting fact: The Ardmore Park Block buildings were a set of identical triplets. All three were the exact same height and shared the exact same bland design.

8. Hennessy Centre, Hong Kong

Photo: SkyscraperPage

Height: 458 feet, 41 stories
Completed: 1983
Demolished: 2008 – because the owner of the building wanted to expand the mall that the Hennessy Centre shared its lot with.
Interesting fact: The unattractive, mostly concrete building had a short 15-year life. Probably because it was unattractive.

7. Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, Tokyo

Photo: Wikimedia

Height: 463 feet, 39 floors
Completed: 1982
Demolished: 2013 – as the New York Times explains it, the hotel was a victim of the vagaries of commercial real estate in Tokyo, “where high property values, changing design standards and other factors have conspired to create a bull market for demolition.”
Interesting fact: The demolition of Tokyo’s Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka was unique in that it didn’t involve wrecking balls or explosives. A crane was used to take out all the beams, concrete and paneling from the inside — bit by bit and floor by floor. So, to any observer who had the patience to stand around and watch the weeks-long event, it would have appeared as though the building was slowly disappearing. Luckily you needn’t put yourself through that sort of tedium. The building disassembly was documented with a video camera and the film has been sped up for your viewing pleasure. Watch it here.

6. The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

Photos: Baycrest/Panoramio, SkyscraperPage

Height: 465 feet, 31 stories
Completed: 1993
Demolished: 2009 – to make way for much-need and more lucrative office space. The building was located on one of Hong Kong’s most valuable business sites.
Interesting fact: The hotel was packed during the 1997 British return of Hong Kong to China, but occupancy fell to three per cent six years later during the SARS outbreak.

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