# Ruined Skyscrapers



## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

Hi, i made this thread to show skyscrapers that were aurrinated by removing their original style or making them uglier

First example to come to my mind is Astro Tower in Brussels

Before:









Source

Now:










Source

The new design don´t look bad, but i prefer the older style, have more personality


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## LivinAWestLife (Aug 24, 2019)

I for one have the exact opposite opinion. The new facade looks more interesting, less monotonous, and more bright.


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## A Chicagoan (Aug 9, 2016)

The new design is very nice, but it is sad that the old design was replaced.


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## PsyLock (Jun 18, 2016)

Verizon Building in NYC. It was already ugly in the first place, was surprised it even got uglier.


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

in Amsterdamm they ruined a beautifull postmodern building changing his style to a modern one ... but what they thinking? now is more boring and too look-alike the other modern buildings, changing the style to postmodern buildings is really a error, the same applies with the 70s buildings in various cases

so here is De Oliphant :

Before:










Now:










Sources:








De Oliphant — Arcam







arcam.nl












Kantoorgebouw De Oliphant voor 55,3 miljoen verkocht


First Sponsor Group heeft kantoorgebouw De Oliphant, bij de Arena, voor 55,3 miljoen van de hand gedaan. In drie jaar tijd is de toren drie keer over de kop gegaan.




www.ad.nl


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## KlausDiggy (Jan 21, 2013)

*Stock Exchange Tower *in London was more Gotham City-like before refurbishment.
Same with *One Angel Court *on the right.
A big loss!









source: megalopolisnow.com

New Version








source: megalopolisnow.com









by https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mattbuck (CC BY-SA 3.0)

*One Angel Court







*
Source: *CTBUH*


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

julia cristianini building, são paulo, the building had none renovation and here we are 
opening: 1946
















Edifício Júlia Cristianini » São Paulo Antiga


Inaugurado em 1945 na Rua General Osório, o Edifício Julia Cristianini hoje é considerado maior "treme treme" da capital paulista.




saopauloantiga.com.br


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

KlausDiggy said:


> *Stock Exchange Tower *in London was more Gotham City-like before refurbishment.
> Same with *One Angel Court *on the right.
> A big loss!
> 
> ...


Very sad really, i have to say that i like the new design of One Angel Court, but not at the cost of ruining a old nice building

Also looks like they started destroying 70s,80s buildings, and now they will start destroying postmodern buildings to convert them into modern generic blue glass towers


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

Torre Catalinas Norte in Buenos Aires, they changed the distinctive golden CW of the tower to blue 🤦‍♂️



















Why everything have to be blue??


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## KlausDiggy (Jan 21, 2013)

*Charité in Berlin*

before
P1070131 by Christian Bsteh, auf Flickr

after








by INTERRAILS, wikimedia commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

la_parca said:


> Torre Catalinas Norte in Buenos Aires, they changed the distinctive golden CW of the tower to blue 🤦‍♂️
> Why everything have to be blue??


do you like golden buildings, so do I
I like these ones in chongqing  
















CHONGQING | Sheraton International Business Center |...


The color is horrible though, but good for China. what that supsoed to mean?




www.skyscrapercity.com


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

Yes, i like them, they are really interesting

Also we have buildings ruined but at much minor scale, in this two postmodern american skyscrapers was sufered a "modernization" in his entrances

Franklin Center - Chicago:

Before:










After:











Thamell Crow Center - Dallas:

Before:










After:












these are not horrible cases like the others above, but why you have to touch a alredy well designed base???, really the people will see more beautifull the modern ones than the originals?

I wonder what absolutely stupid thing they do if they had the oportunity of renovating the entire building


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

I like Trammell crown plaza dallas, anyway  










https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trammell_Crow_Center


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

@A Chicagoan, @KillerZavatar, @Daniiif, @little universe, @ed500, this one is not exactly ruined, but it has been placed in the wrong place  
torre montparnasse










https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_Montparnasse


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## KlausDiggy (Jan 21, 2013)

*City Haus 1 in Frankfurt*

Before:

City Haus, Heil und Krahn 1974, Frankfurt am Main by Hanne Therkildsen, auf Flickr

After:

City Hochhaus Frankfurt (Deutschland) by Lothar Monshausen, auf Flickr


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## RokasLT (Nov 17, 2010)

*Hotel "Lietuva", now "Radisson SAS Blue", Vilnius*


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## RokasLT (Nov 17, 2010)

*Hotel "Draugystė", now "Crowne Plaza" hotel, Vilnius







*


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

Zaz965 said:


> @A Chicagoan, @KillerZavatar, @Daniiif, @little universe, @ed500, this one is not exactly ruined, but it has been placed in the wrong place
> torre montparnasse
> 
> 
> ...


Oh talking about the Tour Montparnasse, there are plans to renovate the building, the new design is nice but that will ruin the actual classy design 


















Tour Montparnasse set to receive "green makeover" by Nouvelle AOM


French studio Nouvelle AOM has been selected to overhaul the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper, in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.




www.dezeen.com


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## KillerZavatar (Jun 22, 2010)

posted on reddit today:

source:

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/OldPhotosInRealLife/comments/wq2b0i
And explanation with additional photos by the original poster:



> Yes, these are the same place. The entire area was leveled to the ground in the late 50s when they built I-70/I-35 through downtown. They had to make room for on-ramps and parking lots for commuting suburbanites. Here are several aerial photos between 1952-1995 for comparison
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/a/cIXojmv
> ...


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## ZeusUpsistos (Jun 26, 2017)

la_parca said:


> Oh talking about the Tour Montparnasse, there are plans to renovate the building, the new design is nice but that will ruin the actual classy design


It will but unfortunately, even though it is one of my favorite skyscraper and the one I admired while growing up, it contrasts too much with its environment and I believe in the end, it's for the best. Paris comes first. But I will definitely miss it.

Here are a few other examples of "ruined" skyscrapers in Paris, notably La Défense where sadly it has become more and more frequent to drastically reclad older towers. Most of these renovations are actually pretty decent (sometimes even improvements) so "ruined" is not really the right word but it's still a shame to loose their previous design as well as the diversity which La Défense has or had a lot with buildings from various generations and architectural styles.

*Tour First (ex-Tour Axa)*















Pascal POGGI / Tour First

*Tour Blanche (ex-Tour Chartis)*















https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Tour_Chartis.JPG / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tour_Blanche_at_La_Défense_-_2019-08-11.jpg

*Tour Europlaza (ex-Tour Septentrion)*, this one was completely transformed in 1999 with a new facade, new materials, a new roof and a spire added















Archiwebture — Objet DUFPI-H-56-1. Concours : Tour Septentrion, av. Gambetta, quartier de La Défense, Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine). 1956-1973

*Tour Opus12 (ex-Tour du Crédit Lyonnais)*
















Its former twin still remains.









*Tour Eqho (ex-tour Descartes)*, really like this transformation here, it keeps most of the tower original characteristics while giving it a more modern and colourful look.















Icade va restructurer la tour Descartes - Defense-92.fr

*Emblem (ex-Tour Cèdre)*, had a really nice orange granite facade with dark windows.















Tour Cèdre (Courbevoie, 1998) | Structurae

*Tour Aurore*, used to be the only tower in the district with gold glass. The renovation project, which is a nice reinterpretation of the original design even though it lost its distinct color, is almost complete (6 floors were also added in the process).















Aurore 1970

*Tour Adria*, the latest one getting revamped (and also getting a few additional floors). I'm really upset about this one.
















It formed a really nice duo with the neighboring tour Egée.
















The next in danger is the *tour Ariane* with its very original windows. A building permit was granted last year for a renovation but since then work hasn't began and an appeal was made against the project so we can still hope it won't move forward (though it probably will). We've had no renders of the project yet but they installed a facade prototype and it looks like it will dramatically change the tower aspect with a more classic glass facade.

















I wish someday we will value and protect more modern architecture.


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## RokasLT (Nov 17, 2010)

Tour First (ex-Tour Axa), Tour Eqho (ex-tour Descartes), Tour Adria, for me are improvements. Looks more attractive or interesting.


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

RokasLT said:


> Tour First (ex-Tour Axa), Tour Eqho (ex-tour Descartes), Tour Adria, for me are improvements. Looks more attractive or interesting.


don't worry. hong kong is building a tour axa shape one  
















HONG KONG | Hopewell Mega Tower | 210m | 55 fl | U/C


it reminds me a lot the old tour axa paris :love: Paris, La Défense, Tour AXA by Pascal POGGI, on Flickr




www.skyscrapercity.com


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## RokasLT (Nov 17, 2010)

Zaz965 said:


> don't worry. hong kong is building a tour axa shape one
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Will the cladding be blue or brown?


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## One Sky (Dec 29, 2010)

Former headquarters of Banco Real, current Brazilian Financial Center - São Paulo

Iconic and distinctive









Pinterest pin/402298179213902208/

Generic and cheap

















Edifício Brazilian Financial Center - antigo Banco Real


Vista ampla do Edifício Brazilian Financial Center - antigo Banco Real - Bela Vista - São Paulo




www.descubrasampa.com.br


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

One Sky said:


> Former headquarters of Banco Real, current Brazilian Financial Center - São Paulo
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can't believe it, I like a lot the old design 😭 😭


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## Cadaeib (Jan 10, 2017)

This hotel build in the 1970' in Jouy-en-Josas, France.


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## Peter1980 (May 14, 2019)

The Prospect County Council Building. Parramatta, Sydney, Australia (tall building on the left)
















Parramatta City 1988 2 by Parracity on flickr

Turned into this.


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

They want to turn Tour la Villete in Paris, a postmodern beautifull building:










Into this 🤦‍♂️:










Source of the images:









Tour La Villette (Aubervilliers, 1973) | Structurae


Tour La Villette is an office building that was completed in 1973. The project is located in Aubervilliers, Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Ile-de-France, France, Europe.




structurae.net












A Aubervilliers, la Tour La Villette va prendre de la hauteur et changer d'usage - L'Écho Île-de-France


’emblématique Tour La Villette va être transformée. Cet immeuble de bureaux de 43 000 m2 et 35 étages situé rue Emile Reynaud, à la frontière d’Aubervilliers et du XIXe arrondissement de Paris, est désormais la propriété du groupe Eurasia. Cette société foncière a fait l’acquisition de...




www.echoidf.fr


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## Pitchoune (Jun 17, 2009)

Mistake after mistake IMO here:
Brussels Rogier square
1846-1955 : the beautiful former North Station
1958-2001 : an iconic early brutalist skyscraper (our first >100m tower)
2006-present : a nice modern skyscraper
Each building is nice but why destroy a magnificient train station for a skyscraper ? (ok because the train station moved 500m away but the old building should have been preserved) and then why destroy that skyscraper that has become iconic in the meantime for a nice but banal modern tower ?









https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Place_Rogier_et_Gare_du_Nord.jpg























Back in Time .be | Tour Martini - Centre Rogier

















Georges De Kinder - Photographe | News & The Belgian Pride


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

@Pitchoune, I am happy to see they kept the fat and massive building on the left


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## Pitchoune (Jun 17, 2009)

Zaz965 said:


> @Pitchoune, I am happy to see they kept the fat and massive building on the left


Well, it has recently been heavily refurbished ... (pictures)
Most early skyscrapers in Brussels have been rebuilt the last 15 years.


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## Zaz965 (Jan 24, 2015)

@Pitchoune, I find the glass facade ugly, I still prefer the old facade.


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## ZeusUpsistos (Jun 26, 2017)

Renovation and extension project of the Art deco Boerentoren in Antwerp by Studio Libeskind and ELD.








Studio Libeskind set to add angular extension to Antwerp art deco tower


Daniel Libeskind's studio has designed an extension for the iconic Boerentoren tower in Antwerp as part of a competition-winning renovation proposal.




www.dezeen.com



















© Dirk Waem / Luxigon


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## la_parca (Jun 4, 2012)

This should be ilegal, this building is not protected?? 🤦‍♂️


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