Overview

• Engineers placed over 600 precisely timed charges to bring down the 63-meter, 160-unit block in under ten seconds at 12:00 PM on July 27, 2025
• About 2,200 residents were evacuated by 8:00 AM, bus routes were rerouted, streets closed and drones monitored the exclusion zone to ensure public safety
• North Rhine-Westphalia’s building ministry provided €32.7 million in funding for the demolition and subsequent park development under the city’s urban renewal plan
• Debris clearance has begun across the site to prepare for landscaping and infrastructure work on the 6.5-hectare city park intended to revitalize Hochheide
• Three remaining towers remain occupied under private ownership, with renovation or future acquisition options still under consideration