The “Leaning Tower of Dallas” – a social media sensation born when a part of a building survived implosion – has endured scores of blows from a wrecking ball in a second attempt at demolition.
Dozens of people gathered in the centre of the Texas city to watch as a crane was used to batter the former Affiliated Computer Services building.
The 11-storey building had found a second life online after surviving a first demolition attempt. It inspired jokes and comparisons to Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa when a February 16 implosion failed to bring down its core.
Demolition is progressing at an agonizing pace. I’M IN AGONY! https://t.co/iJhL8GCLUX
— Leaning Tower of Dallas (@LeaningTower) February 24, 2020
The company that engineered the blast said some explosives did not go off. In the following week, people flocked to the site to post photos of themselves pretending to prop up the lopsided tower.
The remainder of the building proved resilient on Monday.
“They’re taking the wrecking ball and hitting the side of it over and over again, and it’s still just ineffective,” said Shawn Graybill, a 24-year-old who lives nearby and came out in his pyjamas to watch the demolition. “It’s not knocking the tower down.”
Today we say goodbye to a Dallas landmark. The #leaningtowerofdallas is something we will only be able to tell stories about to our kids and their kids. So long dear friend. @LeaningTower (Photos from Twitter) @ClariceFox4 @BrandonToddFOX4 @FOX4 @visit_dallas pic.twitter.com/qIjNmuanWI
— Steven Dial (@StevenDialFox4) February 24, 2020
Lloyd Nabors, whose company is handling the demolition, previously said the tower was leaning in the direction it was intended to fall, and there were no safety concerns.
The building is being demolished to make way for a 2.5 billion dollar mixed-use project
The demolition had been set to end by noon, but the the core of the tower, including the elevator shafts, was still standing. Minutes before noon the work crew lowered the wrecking ball back to the ground.
As the demolition work took place, an online petition to “save this landmark from destruction” continued to draw signatures.
Mr Graybill said he has not signed but plans to if the tower does not tumble soon.