List of tallest demolished freestanding structures

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This is a list of tallest demolished freestanding structures in the world. To be freestanding a structure must not be supported by guy wires, the sea or other types of support. It therefore does not include guyed masts, partially guyed towers and drilling platforms but does include towers, skyscrapers (pinnacle height) and chimneys. [1]

Contents

Demolished freestanding structures 198 m/650 ft or taller

Structures with the same height are ordered by demolition date

NamePinnacle height
(metres / feet)		Year builtYear removedType of structureMain useCountryCityRemarksRecording of event
1 World Trade Center 526.7 m1,728 ft19732001SkyscraperOffice, observationFlag of the United States.svg United StatesNew York City Destroyed on September 11, 2001. Tallest freestanding structure that no longer exists. Tallest building in the world 1972–1974.
2 World Trade Center 415.3 m1,362 ft19732001SkyscraperOffice, observationFlag of the United States.svg United StatesNew York City Destroyed on September 11, 2001. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Andorra Power Station 343 m1,125 ft19812023ChimneyPower stationFlag of Spain.svg SpainAndorra (Teruel)Demolished on 16 February 2023 by explosives. Tallest freestanding structure ever demolished in a controlled manner. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Power Station Westerholt 337 m1,106 ft19812006ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-WestphaliaDemolished on 3 December 2006 by explosives. Video on YouTube
Atlanta Turner Broadcasting Tower 314.3 m1,031 ft19672010Lattice towerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of the United States.svg United StatesAtlanta, GeorgiaDismantled in 2010. Tallest lattice tower to be demolished.
Chimney of Harllee Branch Power Plant 307 m1,007 ft19782016ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States.svg United States Milledgeville, Georgia Demolished on October 15, 2016. Tallest multi-flue windscreen chimney ever demolished. [2] Video on YouTube
Chimney of Widows Creek Fossil Plant 305 m1,001 ft19802020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States.svg United States Stevenson, Alabama Demolished on December 3, 2020. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Marl-Chemiepark Power Station 300 m984 ft197?1995ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Marl, North Rhine-WestphaliaDemolished in 1995.
Chimney #1 of Boxberg Power Station 300 m984 ft19792000ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Boxberg, SaxonyDemolished in 2000.
Chimney of Lippendorf Power Station 300 m984 ft19672005ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Lippendorf, SaxonyDemolished by explosives in 2005.
Chimney #1 of Power Plant Jänschwalde 300 m984 ft19812003ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Jänschwalde Demolished by explosives 2002–2007.
Chimney #2 of Power Plant Jänschwalde 300 m984 ft19812005ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Jänschwalde Demolished by explosives 2002–2007.
Chimney #3 of Power Plant Jänschwalde 300 m984 ft19812007ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Jänschwalde Demolished by explosives 2002–2007.
Chimney of Thierbach Power Station 300 m984 ft1968 ?ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Espenhain, SaxonyDemolished.
Chimney #2 of Boxberg Power Station 300 m984 ft19792009ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Boxberg, SaxonyDemolished in 2009. Video on YouTube
Chimney #3 of Boxberg Power Station 300 m984 ft19792012ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Boxberg, SaxonyDemolished in 2009. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Chimney of Tušimice Power Station 300 m984 ft19742012ChimneyPower stationFlag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Tušimice Dismantled in 2011–12. [3]
Chimney #4 of Boxberg Power Station 300 m984 ft19792012ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg Germany Boxberg, SaxonyDemolished in 2012.
Chimney #3 Matla Power Station Smokestack 276 m906 ft19821982ChimneyPower stationFlag of South Africa.svg South Africa Kriel Demolished in 1982 after partially collapsing during construction. Video on YouTube
Chimney of R.E. Burger Power Station 260 m854 ft192016ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States.svg United States Dilles Bottom Demolished on July 29, 2016 [4] Video on YouTube
Chimney of Shawville Generating Station 259 m850 ft19722016ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States.svg United States Shadyside, Ohio Demolished in 2016.
Chimney of Hamburg-Port256 m840 ft ?2004Chimney ?Flag of Germany.svg Germany Hamburg Demolished in April 2004. Further damage occurred caused by miscalculation of debris trajectories from explosive demolition.
Chimneys #2 Yates Power Plant 253 m830 ft19742017ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Newnan, Georgia Demolished on 21 January 2017. Video on YouTube

Video on YouTube

Chimney #2 ASARCO El Paso Smelter 252.5 m828 ft19672013ChimneySmelterFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States El Paso, Texas Demolished in April 2013. Video on YouTube
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 1250 m820 ft19181944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944. [5]
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 2250 m820 ft19181944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944.
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 3250 m820 ft19181944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944.
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 4250 m820 ft19181944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944.
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 5250 m820 ft19181944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944.
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 6250 m820 ft1918/19201944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944.
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 7250 m820 ft19201944Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDemolished in 1944.
Lafayette transmitter, Tower 8250 m820 ft1918/19201953Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of France.svg  France MarcheprimeDisassembled in 1953.
Bakar Eurco Chimney TE Rijeka 250 m820 ft19782005Chimney ?Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Bakar Demolished in 2005.
Chimney #1 Dolna Odra Power Station 250 m820 ft1973 ?ChimneyPower stationFlag of Poland.svg  Poland Nowe Czarnowo Disassembled.
Chimney of Grain Power Station 244 m801 ft19792016ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Isle of Grain, England Demolished on September 7, 2016. Video on YouTube
Central tower (Königs Wusterhausen) 243 m797 ft19251972Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Koenigs WusterhausenCollapsed during storm on November 15, 1972. Tallest freestanding structure to collapse in a storm.
Chimney #1 Navajo Generating Station 236.2 m775 ft19972020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Page, Arizona,Demolished on December 18, 2020 Video on YouTube
Chimney #2 Navajo Generating Station 236.2 m775 ft19982020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Page, Arizona,Demolished on December 18, 2020(see above)
Chimney #3 Navajo Generating Station 236.2 m775 ft19992020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Page, Arizona,Demolished on December 18, 2020(see above)
Chimney Inverkip Power Station 236 m774 ft19762013ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Inverkip, Scotland Demolished on July 28, 2013. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Power Station Schwandorf235 m771 ft ?2005ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Schwandorf, Bavaria Demolished in 2005.
Channel 9 TV Tower 233 m764 ft19652021Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Disassembled in August 2021. Video on YouTube
WOR TV Tower 231.65 m760 ft19491956Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States North Bergen, New Jersey Dismantled after being struck by an aircraft in 1956.
Chimney of Castrop-Rauxel Power Station230 m755 ft19662008ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Castrop-Rauxel, North Rhine-Westphalia Demolished in 2008.
Chimneys of Heating Power Station Gera-Nord225 m738 ft1984/19862010ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Gera, Thuringia Demolished 2008–2010.
Chimney of Schilling Power Station 220 m722 ft19622005ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Stade, Lower Saxony Demolished in 2005.
Yekaterinburg TV Tower 219 m720 ft19622018TowerObservation TowerFlag of Russia.svg  Russia Yekaterinburg Demolished on March 24, 2018. Was originally intended to be 360 m (1,180 ft) tall. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Pembroke Power Station 217.3 m713 ft19682000ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Pembroke, Wales Demolished on November 25, 2000.
270 Park Avenue 216 m708 ft19602021SkyscraperOfficeFlag of the United States.svg United StatesNew York CityDisassembled in 2020–21. Tallest building to ever be voluntarily removed.
Chimney of Littlebrook Power Station, Unit 'D'215 m705 ft19812019ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Dartford, Kent Demolished in December 2019. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Alma Power Station 213.5 m700 ft19602018ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Alma, Wisconsin Demolished on October 1, 2018. [6] Video on YouTube
Chimney Power Station Moers-Meerbeck210 m689 ft ?1990'sChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Moers–Meerbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia Demolished early 1990s.
Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission, Tower 1 [7] 205 m673 ft19432010Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of Russia.svg  Russia NovosemeykinoDemolished in 2010, [8] selfradiating insulated against ground
Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission, Tower 2 [7] 205 m673 ft19432010Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of Russia.svg  Russia NovosemeykinoDemolished in 2010, [8] selfradiating insulated against ground
Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission, Tower 3 [7] 205 m673 ft19432010Lattice TowerUHF/VHF-transmissionFlag of Russia.svg  Russia NovosemeykinoDemolished in 2010, [8] selfradiating insulated against ground
Chimney Power Station Franken II202 m663 ft19642001ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Erlangen, Bavaria Demolished in 2001.
Chimney of Považská Bystrica Old Power Station201 m659 ft ?2016ChimneyPower stationFlag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Považská Bystrica Demolished in 2016. [9]
Chimney Ludwigshafen200 m656 ft ?2002Chimney ?Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate Demolished in November 2002.
Chimney Power Station Breitungen200 m656 ft19862005ChimneyPower stationFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Breitungen, Thuringia Demolished in 2005.
Chimney of Schwedt PCK-refinery200 m656 ft ?2003ChimneyRefineryFlag of Germany.svg  Germany Schwedt, Brandenburg Demolished in 2003.
Chimney of Pątnów Power Station 200 m656 ft19672008ChimneyPower stationFlag of Poland.svg  Poland Pątnów Demolished in 2008.
Manušice Chimney200 m656 ft ? ?Chimney ?Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Česká Lípa Demolished ?
Chimney of Skalice u České Lípy200 m656 ft ? ?Chimney ?Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Skalice u České Lípy Demolished ?
Chimney of Didcot A Power Station 199.5 m654 ft19682020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Didcot, Oxfordshire Demolished in February 2020. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Ohio Edison Toronto Power Plant [10] 198 m650 ft192008ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Toronto, Ohio Demolition on November 1, 2008. Video on YouTube
Port Kembla Copper Stack198 m650 ft19652014ChimneySmelterFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Port Kembla, New South Wales Demolished on February 20, 2014. Video on YouTube
Chimney #1 of Nanticoke Generating Station Units 1–4198 m650 ft19722018ChimneyPower stationFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nanticoke, Ontario Demolished on February 28, 2018. Video on YouTube
Chimney #2 of Nanticoke Generating Station Units 5–8198 m650 ft19722018ChimneyPower stationFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nanticoke, Ontario Demolished on February 28, 2018.(see above)
Chimney of Kingsnorth Power Station 198 m650 ft19702018ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Hoo St Werburgh, Kent Demolished in March 2018. Video on YouTube
Chimney of St. Johns River Power Park [11] 198 m650 ft19882019ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Jacksonville, Florida Demolished on July 23, 2019. [12] Video on YouTube
Chimney of Consumers Energy B.C. Cobb Plant198 m650 ft ?2020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Muskegon, Michigan Disassembled in 2019-20. [13] Video on YouTube
Chimneys of Ferrybridge C Power Station 198 m650 ft19662020ChimneyPower stationFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Ferrybridge, North Yorkshire Demolition in 2020. Video on YouTube
Chimney of Thunder Bay Generating Station 198 m650 ft19632021ChimneyPower stationFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Thunder Bay, Ontario Demolished on September 9, 2021. [14] Video on YouTube

Timeline of world's tallest demolished freestanding structures

NameHeight (metres / feet)Held recordStructural typeCountryCityNotes
Meidum pyramid 92 m300 ft2610 BC–1303 AD (3913 years)MausoleumFlag of Egypt.svg Egypt Meidum Collapsed during construction, now 65m
Lighthouse of Alexandria 103 to 118 m338 to 387 ft1303–1500 (197 years)LighthouseFlag of Egypt.svg Egypt Alexandria Damaged by earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323. The most destructive of which is indicated to be the 1303 quake.
Malmesbury Abbey 131 m431 ft1500–1549 (49 years)ChurchFlag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Malmesbury Spire collapsed around 1500.
Lincoln Cathedral 159.7 m524 ft1549–1921 (372 years)ChurchFlag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Lincoln Spire collapsed in 1549.
New Brighton Tower 172.8 m567 ft1921–1936 (15 years)Lattice TowerFlag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Liverpool Dismantled from 1919 to 1921.
US Naval Radio Station Pearl Harbor, 3 identical towers [15] 183 m600 ft1936–1938 (2 years)Lattice TowerFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Honolulu Dismantled in 1936.
US Naval Radio Station Cayey, 3 identical towers [16] 189 m620 ft1938–1944 (6 years)Lattice TowerFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Cayey, Puerto RicoDemolished in 1938.
Lafayette transmitter, 8 identical towers250 m820 ft1944–1982 (38 years)Lattice TowerFlag of France.svg  France Marcheprime Towers 1 through to 7 demolished in 1944, tower 8 demolished in 1953. [5]
Chimney #3 Matla Power Station Smokestack 276 m906 ft1982–1995 (13 years)ChimneyFlag of South Africa.svg South Africa Kriel Demolished in 1982 after partially collapsing during construction.
Chimney of Marl-Chemiepark Power Station 300 m984 ft1995–2001 (6 years)ChimneyFlag of Germany.svg Germany Marl Demolished in 1995.
2 World Trade Center 415.3 m1,362 ft1973–2001 (28 years)SkyscraperFlag of the United States.svg United States New York City Destroyed on September 11, 2001.
1 World Trade Center 526.7 m1,728 ft1973–2001 (28 years)SkyscraperFlag of the United States.svg United States New York City Destroyed on September 11, 2001. Tallest freestanding structure that no longer exists.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inco Superstack</span> Second-tallest freestanding chimney

The Inco Superstack in Sudbury, Ontario, with a height of 381 metres (1,250 ft), is the tallest chimney in Canada and the Western Hemisphere, and the second-tallest freestanding chimney in the world after the Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station in Kazakhstan. It is also the second-tallest freestanding structure of any type in Canada, behind the CN Tower but ahead of First Canadian Place. As of 2023, it is the 51st-tallest freestanding structure in the world. The Superstack is located on top of the largest nickel smelting operation in the world at Vale's Copper Cliff processing facility in the city of Greater Sudbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lattice tower</span> Freestanding framework tower

A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding vertical framework tower. This construction is widely used in transmission towers carrying high-voltage electric power lines, in radio masts and towers and in observation towers. Its advantage is good shear strength at a much lower weight than a tower of solid construction would have as well as lower wind resistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudelange Radio Tower</span> Steel lattice television tower in Dudelange

The Dudelange Radio Tower is a 285-meter (935 ft) high freestanding steel framework FM radio and television transmission tower, also called a lattice tower, with a triangular cross section located near Dudelange in Luxembourg. When completed in 1957 the Dudelange Radio Tower was the tallest structure in Luxembourg and the fourth tallest lattice tower in the world after the Tokyo, Eiffel and KCTV towers. It remains the tallest freestanding structure in Luxembourg today and the 5th tallest structure overall in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schilling Power Station</span>

Schilling Power Station was an oil-fired power station in the proximity of the nuclear power station at Stade. It went into operation in 1960, was extended in 1962 and 1964, and was shut down in the 1980s. Since it principally served Hamburg north for the electricity supply of Hamburg and fed its current into the transformer station, the first overhead line crossing of the Elbe was built at that time at Stade, the Elbe Crossing 1. The buildings still exist today and are occasionally used for disaster control exercises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westerholt Power Station</span>

Westerholt Power Station was a coal fired power station in Gelsenkirchen-Westerholt, Germany. The power plant consisted of two units built in the 1960s, each capable of producing 150 MW of electricity. Its smokestack, built in 1981, was 337 metres tall, making it Germany's tallest chimney at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teruel Power Plant</span>

Teruel Power Plant was a lignite fired power plant near the town of Andorra in the province of Teruel, community of Aragon, Spain. The flue gas stack of Teruel Power Plant was 343 metres (1,125 ft) high. Teruel Power Plant had three generating units with a capacity of 350 megawatts each. In 1992, Teruel Power Plant was equipped with filters that reduced the amount of detrimental sulfur dioxide emitted in the smoke by 90%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchell Power Plant</span> Coal-fired power station in West Virginia

Mitchell Power Plant is a large coal fired power station located on West Virginia Route 2 south of Moundsville, West Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harllee Branch Power Plant</span> Coal-fired power station in Georgia, US

Plant Harllee Branch was a coal-fired power station located in Putnam County, southeast of Eatonton, Georgia, United States. It was located between Eatonton and Milledgeville, to the southeast. The power plant was owned and operated by Georgia Power. It was named after Harllee Branch Jr., president of Georgia Power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widows Creek Fossil Plant</span> Decommissioned coal-fired power plant in Jackson County, Alabama, United States

Widows Creek Fossil Plant was a 1.6-gigawatt coal power plant, 4.8 miles (7.7 km) east of Stevenson, Alabama, USA. The plant, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, generated about nine billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. It had one of the tallest chimneys in the world at 305 metres (1,001 ft), which was built in 1977, and was removed December 3, 2020 in a controlled demolition. Along with the Chimney of the Harllee Branch Power Plant, it is the tallest chimney to be demolished in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emley Moor transmitting station</span> Telecommunications and broadcasting facility in West Yorkshire, England

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References

  1. ↑ See Tallest freestanding structures by skyscraperpage.com
  2. ↑ "Chimneys".
  3. ↑ "Tušimice power plant – demolition of 300 m chimney – en Libre spol. S r.o."
  4. ↑ "Smoke Stack at R.E. Burger Plant in Dilles Bottom Comes Down".
  5. 1 2 "Lafayette transmitter, Marcheprime | 1225903". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved 2021-01-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ↑ "Scratch one smokestack from the banks of the Mississippi | NewsCut | Minnesota Public Radio News". Blogs.mprnews.org. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  7. 1 2 3 "Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission Towers, Novosemeykino". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  8. 1 2 3 Nicolas Janberg, Chief Editor. "Novosemeykino Transmission Towers (Novosemeykino)". Structurae. Retrieved 2021-01-26.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  9. ↑ a.s., Petit Press. "Komín v strojárňach zmizne, patrí k najvyšším stavbám". sme.sk.
  10. ↑ "FirstEnergy Toronto Power Plant Demolition & Remediation". Independence Demolition. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  11. ↑ "St. Johns River Power Park | Electric Facilities| Electric Generation | About". JEA. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  12. ↑ "JEA St. John's River Power Park Hung Boiler Units and Chimney - Controlled Demolition, Inc". YouTube. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  13. ↑ "What was that boom? Coal plant in Muskegon has been demolished". wzzm13.com. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  14. ↑ "Budget Demolition - Thunder Bay Generating Station - 650 Foot Stack Blast - Sept 09, 2021". YouTube. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  15. ↑ "US Naval Radio Station Pearl Harbor - NPM". Navy-radio.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  16. ↑ "The Impact on Cayey, Puerto Rico of the Spanish American War: The Evolution of a Place Called Henry Barracks" . Retrieved 2021-01-26.
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