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This is alist of tallest demolished freestanding structures. To be freestanding, a structure must not be supported byguy-wires, the sea or other types of support. It therefore does not includeguyed masts,partially guyed towers and drilling platforms, but does include towers, skyscrapers (pinnacle height) and chimneys.[1]
Structures with the same height are ordered by demolition date
| Name | Pinnacle height (metres / feet) | Year built | Year removed | Type of structure | Main use | Country | Location | Remarks | Recording of event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 World Trade Center | 417 m | 1,368 ft | 1973 | 2001 | Skyscraper | Office, observation | New York City | Destroyed onSeptember 11, 2001. Tallest freestanding structure that no longer exists. Tallest building in the world 1971–1973.[2] | ||
| 2 World Trade Center | 415.3 m | 1,362 ft | 1973 | 2001 | Skyscraper | Office, observation | New York City | Destroyed onSeptember 11, 2001. | Video on YouTube | |
| Chimney ofHomer City Generating Station | 370 m | 1,217 ft | 1969 | 2025 | Chimney | Power station | Homer City | Demolished on 23 March 2025 by explosives. Tallest freestanding structure ever demolished in a controlled manner, demolished byControlled Demolition, Inc. | Video on YouTube | |
| Chimney ofAndorra Power Station | 343 m | 1,125 ft | 1981 | 2023 | Chimney | Power station | Andorra, Teruel | Demolished on 16 February 2023 by explosives.[3] | Video on YouTube | |
| Chimney ofWesterholt Power Station | 337 m | 1,106 ft | 1981 | 2006 | Chimney | Power station | Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia | Demolished on 3 December 2006 by explosives.[4] | Video on YouTube | |
| Turner Broadcasting tower | 314.3 m | 1,031 ft | 1967 | 2010 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Atlanta, Georgia | Dismantled in 2010. Tallest lattice tower to be demolished.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney ofHarllee Branch Power Plant | 307 m | 1,007 ft | 1978 | 2016 | Chimney | Power station | Milledgeville, Georgia | Demolished on 15 October 2016. Tallest multi-flue windscreen chimney ever demolished.[5] | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofWidows Creek Fossil Plant | 305 m | 1,001 ft | 1980 | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | Stevenson, Alabama | Demolished on 3 December 2020.[6] | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofMarl-Chemiepark Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 197? | 1995 | Chimney | Power station | Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia | Demolished in 1995.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #1 ofBoxberg Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1979 | 2000 | Chimney | Power station | Boxberg, Saxony | Demolished in 2000.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney ofLippendorf Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1967 | 2005 | Chimney | Power station | Lippendorf, Saxony | Demolished by explosives in 2005.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #1 ofJänschwalde Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1981 | 2003 | Chimney | Power station | Jänschwalde | Demolished by explosives 2002–2007.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #2 ofJänschwalde Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1981 | 2005 | Chimney | Power station | Jänschwalde | Demolished by explosives 2002–2007.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #3 ofJänschwalde Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1981 | 2007 | Chimney | Power station | Jänschwalde | Demolished by explosives 2002–2007.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney ofThierbach Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1968 | ? | Chimney | Power station | Espenhain, Saxony | Demolished.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #2 ofBoxberg Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1979 | 2009 | Chimney | Power station | Boxberg, Saxony | Demolished in 2009.[citation needed] | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney #3 ofBoxberg Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1979 | 2012 | Chimney | Power station | Boxberg, Saxony | Demolished in 2009.[citation needed] | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofTušimice Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1974 | 2012 | Chimney | Power station | Tušimice | Dismantled in 2011–12.[7] | ||
| Chimney #4 ofBoxberg Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1979 | 2012 | Chimney | Power station | Boxberg, Saxony | Demolished in 2012.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #3 ofMatla Power Station | 276 m | 906 ft | 1982 | 1982 | Chimney | Power station | Kriel | Demolished in 1982 after partially collapsing during construction.[8] | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofR.E. Burger Power Station | 260 m | 854 ft | 19 | 2016 | Chimney | Power station | Dilles Bottom, Ohio | Demolished on 29 July 2016.[9] | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofShawville Generating Station | 259 m | 850 ft | 1972 | 2016 | Chimney | Power station | Shadyside, Ohio | Demolished in 2016.[citation needed] | ||
| Moscow Octod Tower | 258 m | 846 ft | 2006 | 2022–? | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Moscow | Dismantling began in 2022. As of 2024, the lower part of the tower was still standing due to complications with the work. It was the second-tallest lattice tower ever to be demolished.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney of Hamburg-Port | 256 m | 840 ft | ? | 2004 | Chimney | ? | Hamburg | Demolished in April 2004. Further damage occurred caused by miscalculation of debris trajectories from explosive demolition.[citation needed] | ||
| Chimney #2 ofYates Power Plant | 253 m | 830 ft | 1974 | 2017 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Newnan, Georgia | Demolished on 21 January 2017. | Video onYouTube |
| Chimney #2 ofASARCOEl Paso Smelter | 252.5 m | 828 ft | 1967 | 2013 | Chimney | Smelter | United States | El Paso, Texas | Demolished in April 2013. | Video onYouTube |
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 1 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944.[10] | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 2 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944. | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 3 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944. | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 4 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944. | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 5 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944. | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 6 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918/1920 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944. | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 7 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1920 | 1944 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Demolished in 1944. | ||
| Lafayette transmitter, Tower 8 | 250 m | 820 ft | 1918/1920 | 1953 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Marcheprime | Disassembled in 1953. | ||
| Bakar Eurco ChimneyTE Rijeka | 250 m | 820 ft | 1978 | 2005 | Chimney | ? | Bakar | Demolished in 2005. | ||
| Chimney #1Dolna Odra Power Station | 250 m | 820 ft | 1973 | ? | Chimney | Power station | Nowe Czarnowo | Disassembled. | ||
| Chimney ofGrain Power Station | 244 m | 801 ft | 1979 | 2016 | Chimney | Power station | Isle of Grain, England | Demolished on 7 September 2016. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofMonroe Power Plant | 244 m | 800 ft | 1970 | 2011–12 | Chimney | Power station | Monroe, Michigan | Slowly dismantled from 2011–12.[11][12] | ||
| Chimney ofMonroe Power Plant | 244 m | 800 ft | 1970 | 2014 | Chimney | Power station | Monroe, Michigan | Dismantled in 2014.[13] | ||
| Königs Wusterhausen Central Tower | 243 m | 797 ft | 1925 | 1972 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Königs Wusterhausen | Collapsed during storm on 15 November 1972. Tallest freestanding structure to collapse in a storm. | ||
| Chimney #1Navajo Generating Station | 236.2 m | 775 ft | 1997 | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Page, Arizona | Demolished on 18 December 2020. | Video onYouTube |
| Chimney #2Navajo Generating Station | 236.2 m | 775 ft | 1998 | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Page, Arizona | Demolished on 18 December 2020. | (see above) |
| Chimney #3Navajo Generating Station | 236.2 m | 775 ft | 1999 | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Page, Arizona | Demolished on 18 December 2020. | (see above) |
| Chimney ofInverkip Power Station | 236 m | 774 ft | 1976 | 2013 | Chimney | Power station | Inverkip, Scotland | Demolished on 28 July 2013. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney of Power Station Schwandorf | 235 m | 771 ft | ? | 2005 | Chimney | Power station | Schwandorf, Bavaria | Demolished in 2005. | ||
| AXA Tower | 235 m | 771 ft | 1986 | 2023 | Skyscraper | Commercial | Singapore | Demolished to make way forSkywaters Residences.[14]Tallest building to ever be voluntarily demolished. | ||
| Channel 9 TV Tower | 233 m | 764 ft | 1965 | 2021 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Sydney | Disassembled in August 2021. | Video onYouTube | |
| WOR TV Tower | 231.65 m | 760 ft | 1949 | 1956 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | United States | North Bergen, New Jersey | Dismantled after being struck by an aircraft in 1956. | |
| Chimney of Castrop-Rauxel Power Station | 230 m | 755 ft | 1966 | 2008 | Chimney | Power station | Castrop-Rauxel, North Rhine-Westphalia | Demolished in 2008. | ||
| Chimneys of Heating Power Station Gera-Nord | 225 m | 738 ft | 1984/1986 | 2010 | Chimney | Power station | Gera, Thuringia | Demolished 2008–2010. | ||
| Chimney ofSchilling Power Station | 220 m | 722 ft | 1962 | 2005 | Chimney | Power station | Stade, Lower Saxony | Demolished in 2005. | ||
| Yekaterinburg TV Tower | 219 m | 720 ft | 1962 | 2018 | Tower | Observation tower | Yekaterinburg | Demolished on 24 March 2018. Was originally intended to be 360 m (1,180 ft) tall. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofPembroke Power Station | 217.3 m | 713 ft | 1968 | 2000 | Chimney | Power station | Pembroke, Wales | Demolished on 25 November 2000. | ||
| 270 Park Avenue | 216 m | 708 ft | 1960 | 2021 | Skyscraper | Office | New York City | Disassembled in 2020–21. Was thetallest building to ever be voluntarily demolished until 2023. | ||
| Chimney ofLittlebrook Power Station, Unit 'D' | 215 m | 705 ft | 1981 | 2019 | Chimney | Power station | Dartford, Kent | Demolished in December 2019. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofAlma Power Station | 213.5 m | 700 ft | 1960 | 2018 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Alma, Wisconsin | Demolished on 1 October 2018.[15] | Video onYouTube |
| Chimney Power Station Moers-Meerbeck | 210 m | 689 ft | ? | 1990's | Chimney | Power station | Moers–Meerbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia | Demolished early 1990s. | ||
| Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission, Tower 1[16] | 205 m | 673ft | 1943 | 2010 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Novosemeykino | Demolished in 2010.[17] | ||
| Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission, Tower 2[16] | 205 m | 673 ft | 1943 | 2010 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Novosemeykino | Demolished in 2010.[17] | ||
| Novosemeykino Longwave Transmission, Tower 3[16] | 205 m | 673 ft | 1943 | 2010 | Lattice tower | UHF/VHF-transmission | Novosemeykino | Demolished in 2010.[17] | ||
| Chimney Power Station Franken II | 202 m | 663 ft | 1964 | 2001 | Chimney | Power station | Erlangen, Bavaria | Demolished in 2001. | ||
| Chimney of Považská Bystrica Old Power Station | 201 m | 659 ft | ? | 2016 | Chimney | Power station | Považská Bystrica | Demolished in 2016.[18] | ||
| Chimney Ludwigshafen | 200 m | 656 ft | ? | 2002 | Chimney | ? | Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate | Demolished in November 2002. | ||
| Chimney Power Station Breitungen | 200 m | 656 ft | 1986 | 2005 | Chimney | Power station | Breitungen, Thuringia | Demolished in 2005. | ||
| Chimney of Schwedt PCK-refinery | 200 m | 656 ft | ? | 2003 | Chimney | Refinery | Schwedt, Brandenburg | Demolished in 2003. | ||
| Chimney ofPątnów Power Station | 200 m | 656 ft | 1967 | 2008 | Chimney | Power station | Pątnów | Demolished in 2008. | ||
| Manušice Chimney | 200 m | 656 ft | ? | ? | Chimney | ? | Česká Lípa | Demolished ? | ||
| Chimney of Skalice u České Lípy | 200 m | 656 ft | ? | ? | Chimney | ? | Skalice u České Lípy | Demolished ? | ||
| Chimney ofDidcot A Power Station | 199.5 m | 654 ft | 1968 | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | Didcot, Oxfordshire | Demolished in February 2020. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney of Ohio Edison Toronto Power Plant[19] | 198 m | 650 ft | 19 | 2008 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Toronto, Ohio | Demolition on 1 November 2008. | Video onYouTube |
| Port Kembla Copper Stack | 198 m | 650 ft | 1965 | 2014 | Chimney | Smelter | Port Kembla, New South Wales | Demolished on 20 February 2014. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney #1 ofNanticoke Generating Station Units 1–4 | 198 m | 650 ft | 1972 | 2018 | Chimney | Power station | Nanticoke, Ontario | Demolished on 28 February 2018. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney #2 ofNanticoke Generating Station Units 5–8 | 198 m | 650 ft | 1972 | 2018 | Chimney | Power station | Nanticoke, Ontario | Demolished on 28 February 2018. | (see above) | |
| Chimney ofKingsnorth Power Station | 198 m | 650 ft | 1970 | 2018 | Chimney | Power station | Hoo St Werburgh, Kent | Demolished in March 2018. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney of St. Johns River Power Park[20] | 198 m | 650 ft | 1988 | 2019 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Jacksonville, Florida | Demolished on 23 July 2019.[21] | Video onYouTube |
| Chimney ofConsumers Energy B.C. Cobb Plant | 198 m | 650 ft | ? | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | United States | Muskegon, Michigan | Disassembled in 2019–20.[22] | Video onYouTube |
| Chimneys ofFerrybridge C Power Station | 198 m | 650 ft | 1966 | 2020 | Chimney | Power station | Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire | Demolition in 2020. | Video onYouTube | |
| Chimney ofThunder Bay Generating Station | 198 m | 650 ft | 1963 | 2021 | Chimney | Power station | Thunder Bay, Ontario | Demolished on 9 September 2021.[23] | Video onYouTube | |
| Name | Height (metres / feet) | Held record | Structural type | Country | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meidum pyramid | 92 m | 300 ft | 2610 BC–1303 AD (3,913 years) | Mausoleum | Meidum | Collapsed during construction, now 65 m (213 ft). | |
| Lighthouse of Alexandria | 103 to 118 m | 338 to 387 ft | 1303–1500 (197 years) | Lighthouse | Alexandria | Damaged by earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323. The most destructive of which is indicated to be the 1303 quake. | |
| Malmesbury Abbey | 131 m | 431 ft | 1500–1549 (49 years) | Church | Malmesbury | Spire collapsed around 1500. | |
| Lincoln Cathedral | 159.7 m | 524 ft | 1549–1921 (372 years) | Church | Lincoln | Spire collapsed in 1549. | |
| New Brighton Tower | 172.8 m | 567 ft | 1921–1936 (15 years) | Lattice tower | Liverpool | Dismantled from 1919 to 1921. | |
| US Naval Radio Station Pearl Harbor, 3 identical towers[24] | 183 m | 600 ft | 1936–1938 (2 years) | Lattice tower | United States | Honolulu | Dismantled in 1936. |
| US Naval Radio Station Cayey, 3 identical towers[25] | 189 m | 620 ft | 1938–1944 (6 years) | Lattice tower | United States | Cayey, Puerto Rico | Demolished in 1938. |
| Lafayette transmitter, 8 identical towers | 250 m | 820 ft | 1944–1982 (38 years) | Lattice tower | Marcheprime | Towers 1 through to 7 demolished in 1944; tower 8 demolished in 1953.[10] | |
| Chimney #3Matla Power Station Smokestack | 276 m | 906 ft | 1982–1995 (13 years) | Chimney | Kriel | Demolished in 1982 after partially collapsing during construction. | |
| Chimney ofMarl-Chemiepark Power Station | 300 m | 984 ft | 1995–2001 (6 years) | Chimney | Marl | Demolished in 1995. | |
| 2 World Trade Center | 415.3 m | 1,362 ft | 2001 (29 minutes) | Skyscraper | New York City | Destroyed during theSeptember 11 attacks at 9:59 am. | |
| 1 World Trade Center | 417 m | 1,368 ft | 2001–present (23+ years) | Skyscraper | New York City | Destroyed during theSeptember 11 attacks at 10:28 am. Tallest freestanding structure that no longer exists. | |