LONDON MOL - They were built to symbolize the city’s prosperity and vision. But after years of abandonment, stalled development or economic crisis, some of the world’s most amazing buildings have fallen into ruin and instead come to epitomize national struggle.
From Thailand’s 49-storey Sathorn Unique which was abandoned after the 1997 financial crisis to Venezuela’s luxury skyscraper-turned-world’s tallest slum, the Tower of David, here is a selection of some of the world’s tallest hollowed-out buildings which once epitomized architectural triumph.
It’s called Bangkok’s ‘ghost tower’. The empty 49-storey Sathorn Unique tower overlooking the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, was destined to be a state-of-the-art office and residential complex. But construction on the skyscraper - with a rooftop terrace described by i09 as ‘perfect for villainous showdowns’ - was abandoned after the 1997 financial crisis.  Now the 174m graffiti-covered building mainly houses squatters. In 1994, some shots from Hollywood blockbuster The Client were shot in the Sterick Building in Memphis. But aside from that, the ex- ‘Queen of Memphis’ has been vacant since 1986.
At its peak, the tower featured a white stone spire topped with a green tile roof, its own bank, pharmacy, barber shop and beauty parlor; and stockbrokers’ offices. The first three floors were made from granite and limestone.
Last year, The Commercial Appeal reported officials were pressing for a feasibility study of mixed-use development of the 111-meter tall gothic-style tower and national marketing of the empty landmark once the study is completed.
Redevelopment of the once-glittering site is reportedly a challenge because it is so big and in an area where demand for office space has declined.
It was nicknamed Skeletor, the arch-villian in He-Man, because it resembled a skeleton in its unfinished form.
Construction of the 92-meter tall high-rise building Szkieletor (Skeletor), in Kraków, Poland, started in 1975 but was stopped about four years later because of economic constraints, political unrest and the imposition of martial law in Poland.
The infamous North Korean ‘hotel of doom’, Ryugyong Hotel, was slated to open this year after standing empty on the Pyongyang skyline for nearly 30 years.
But CNN predicts the colossal 330-meter tall building, with extravagant glass plating, will keep its Guiness World Record as the tallest unoccupied building.
So while the building is not technically abandoned, the absence of a firm construction deadline doesn’t bode well.
Geneva-based Kempinski Hotels group - which reportedly manages the outwardly luxurious hotel - issued a statement in April distancing itself from the refurbishment, saying ‘market entry is not currently possible’.