Humans love to push boundaries, building taller, bigger, and
more extraordinary structures. But for every success like the Burj Khalifa or
the Eiffel Tower, there's a graveyard of mega-fails that halfway built and then
abandoned. What if I told you there’s a 1,080-foot-tall skyscraper, towering
over a city but completely empty. Or a $12 billion man-made island shaped like
a palm tree with half-built villas and empty beaches. What about a city built
for 1 million people, costing more than NASA’s Mars missions, but with just
empty highways and silent skyscrapers? Or 732 fairy-tale castles sitting on a
hillside, silent as a horror movie set. Then there’s a mall bigger than 120
football fields but its 99% empty.
Welcome back to another amazing episode of 4 Ever Green.
Today, we'll show you "15 Abandoned skyscrapers and mega projects." And
make sure you stick with us to the end, we’ll take a look at a replica of
Italy’s Portofino in India, so deserted that the funds used could have built
600 Taj Mahals instead. So, get ready, hit the like button, and let's dive in!
15. Ryugyong Hotel:
Imagine a 1,080-foot-tall skyscraper shaped like a pointy
glass pyramid, towering over a city but completely empty. Welcome to North
Korea’s Ryugyong Hotel, a $750 million “ghost tower” that’s never hosted a
single guest!
Construction began in 1987 to rival the world’s tallest
buildings, like the Burj Khalifa. By the 1990s, money ran out, and the concrete
skeleton stood frozen for 16 years. Locals nicknamed it the “Hotel of Doom,” a
haunting symbol of the regime’s failed ambitions. In 2011, the government spent
millions to cover up their embarrassment with a shiny glass exterior. But
inside? It's all empty halls, rusty wires, and total silence, like those
ghostly, abandoned skyscrapers from Gotham City, but this is real. In 2018,
they even added LED lights to make it glow at night, yet it’s still as useless
as a million dollars flashlight. For context, $750 million could’ve fed North
Korea’s entire population for 3 years. Instead, they built the world’s tallest
unoccupied building. What's even crazier? There's a rumor that Kim Jong Un once
tried to open it, but engineers warned it might collapse. Yikes.
14. Golden Finance 117:
Golden Finance 117, the tallest abandoned skyscraper in the
world, is a super-tall skyscraper project that was never finished. This tower
stands 597 meters tall with 128 floors, and it's the tallest building in the
world that has a flat roof, it doesn't have an antenna or railing. Its sleek
design looks like a cane. Originally, Golden Finance 117 was meant to be the
centerpiece of the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Business Center, a place planned
to have luxury homes, entertainment spots, schools, and shops.
Construction of the $1.2 billion Golden Finance 117 began on
September 10, 2008, and by the end of 2013, the building had reached over 200
meters tall. It hit its full height on September 8, 2015, but then construction
stopped because of financial problems caused by the crash in China’s stock
market. The building was supposed to have 128 floors, and there were plans to
restart construction in 2018. However, as of 2025, the skyscraper remains
unfinished and has been abandoned. Golden Finance 117, which has no cladding on
its exterior, affects China ‘s skyline with its exposed steel structure and
huge windows.
If you're enjoying this video, don't forget to hit the like button! You can
also check out our video, " World's
Most Expensive House That Cost Even More Than A Country,"
right here on our channel, 4 Ever Green.
13. Burj Al Babas:
Imagine 732 mini-castles, straight out of a fairy tale,
perched on a hillside but completely empty. Welcome to Burj Al Babas, Turkey’s
$200 million ghost town that looks like Disneyland’s creepy cousin. Built for
the ultra-rich, this “luxury village” promised mini-castles with turrets,
marble floors, and private pools. But by 2019, the developers went bankrupt,
leaving behind a maze of half-finished towers and peeling turrets. Now, it
looks like a kingdom after the apocalypse, with half-built homes, broken
windows, and empty streets. Locals call it the “Disney Graveyard,” a haunting
reminder that even dreams of gold can turn to dust. Each castle cost about
$273,000, just to sit and decay in the Turkish countryside. But today they're
worth less than a bag of rice. For 200 million, Turkey could have built 40
schools. Instead, they ended up with a hillside full of concrete fairy tales.
Frozen since 2019. Vines are climbing the walls, and owls have taken over the
towers. Will rich buyers ever show up? It's doubtful.
12. Dubai Palm Jebel Ali:
Think Atlantis, but made of sand and concrete. Dubai’s Palm
Jebel Ali, a $12 billion man-made island shaped like a palm tree, was meant to
be a playground for billionaires. Instead, it’s a surreal graveyard of
half-built villas and empty beaches. Part of the legendary Palm Islands, this
man-made wonder was supposed to have 100 luxury hotels, 5,000 villas, and theme
parks. Today, the island is just a skeleton of cranes and crumbling roads. Construction
started in 2002, but the 2008 financial crisis hit like a Marvel villain,
sinking dreams faster than Atlantis. By 2009, work stopped, leaving a
half-built palm-shaped skeleton in the ocean. The only "residents"
are stray crabs and the occasional seagull. Satellite images show a ghostly
palm, no water parks, no yachts, just silence. For $12 billion, Dubai could
have built 24 Burj Khalifas or funded global malaria eradication for five
years. Instead, they built a ghost town on the water. Even worse? The project
harmed marine life, turning a dream into an environmental nightmare.
11. Oceanwide Plaza:
Oceanwide Plaza was supposed to be a mixed-use complex with
luxury homes, hotels, offices, and shops. But over time, it has turned into an
abandoned building. Construction began in 2015 on what was planned to be three
towers, and 60% of it was finished before stopping in 2019. Designed to add
prestige to the city, Oceanwide Plaza couldn't be completed because of
financial problems and crises faced by the companies behind the project. Now,
it's known as the 3rd tallest abandoned skyscraper.
While the exterior of Oceanwide Plaza was finished, the
interior remains incomplete, turning the skyscraper into a shell covered in
graffiti. Graffiti artists frequently enter the building to paint intricate
art, particularly on the unfinished terraces of its facade. With people BASE
jumping from the top, Oceanwide Plaza is now under 24-hour surveillance for
security. So far, it has cost 1 billion dollars. Since an additional $800
million is needed to complete the project, Oceanwide Plaza remains an abandoned
skyscraper.
10. Torre Insignia:
Torre Insignia, also known as Torre Banobras, is a striking
building designed by architect Mario Pani Darqui. Completed in 1962, this
25-story skyscraper shaped like a triangular prism originally served as the
headquarters for the state bank Banobras. It was abandoned after the 1985
Mexico City earthquake, which had a magnitude of 8.0, because of safety
concerns. Despite surviving six major earthquakes from 1985 to 2017 without any
damage, Torre Banobras remains abandoned.
Constructed from reinforced concrete, glass, and aluminum,
Torre Insignia stands out with a total floor area of 236,806 square meters and
a surface area of 83,056 square meters, and it includes the world’s tallest
bell tower. Despite the building's abandonment, the bell—a gift from the
Belgian government—was played on special occasions by bell artist Yolanda
Fernandez de Cordoba until her death. Known as one of the most durable
buildings in the city for surviving major earthquakes, Torre Insignia was
bought by Cushman and Wakefield in 2008 and underwent a redesign in 2011. Although
it is still abandoned today, this skyscraper is a significant piece of Mexican
architecture and continues to hold promise due to its durability and aesthetic
appeal.
Before we move on to our next selection, we invite you to
check out our video on 20
Most Beautiful Buildings That Took Creativity At Another Level.
Now, let's get back to our list.
9. The Ghost City of Ordos Kangbashi:
Imagine a city built for 1 million people but instead of
crowds, cars, and chaos, there’s just empty highways, silent skyscrapers, and
the sound of your own footsteps. Welcome to Ordos Kangbashi, a $161 billion
ghost town that feels like Matrix Zion… if humans forgot to show up.
Built in the 2000s during China’s coal boom, this city was
meant to be a utopia. This futuristic metropolis has museums shaped like alien
spaceships, stadiums big enough for 100,000 fans, and apartment towers that
stretch to the clouds. But for years, it sat empty, a post-apocalyptic
playground with no kids, no shops, and no life. Locals called it the “City of
No Tomorrow.” This place cost more than NASA’s Mars missions. For $161 billion,
China could’ve solved world hunger for two years. Instead, they built a city
where stray dogs outnumber residents. The few people who live here joke they’re
“neighbors with ghosts.” Today, it’s slowly filling up, thanks to cheap rents
and government pushes. After 15 years, it’s still 70% empty. Will it ever
thrive? Maybe by 3023. Until then, it’s the world’s most expensive zombie city.
8. Sathorn Unique Tower:
Meet Sathorn Unique Tower, Bangkok’s $140 million “Vertical
Graveyard” that’s more Silent Hill than Luxury Living. Sathorn Unique Tower, known
colloquially as the Ghost Tower, is the sixth-tallest abandoned skyscraper in
the world. This skyscraper, which has a total of 49 floors, including the
ground floor and the garage floor, was planned to be a first-class luxury
apartment complex. Designed as a postmodern concrete skyscraper, defined by a
series of stacked curved balconies and columns, the construction of Sathorn
Unique Tower began in 1990. In 1997, when the building was 80% complete,
construction was halted due to the financial crisis in Asia. The building was
completely abandoned after the architect Rangsan Torsuwan was accused of an
assassination plot.
The skyscraper, originally planned to house 600 apartment
units, began to deteriorate from neglect after being abandoned. Sathorn Unique
Tower, now a hazardous ruin with exposed wires and rusty metal, has become even
more unsafe as it is frequented by homeless and addicted individuals. Despite
these dangers, many visitors still enter this tower for exploration, climbing
to the top via a narrow stairwell.
7. The Ciudad Real Central Airport:
Imagine an airport with a runway longer than New York’s
Central Park, shiny terminals, and not a single passenger in sight. This is
Spain's $1.1 billion ghost airport, a massive White Elephant so empty, even
tumbleweeds would get bored.
Built to rival Madrid’s airport, this mega-airport opened in
2008 with dreams of 10 million travelers a year. But only 10 flights ever
landed here. By 2012, it shut down, drowning in debt. The 15,000-foot runway is
perfect for racing Ferraris, which actually happened once. The control tower is
more like a lonely lighthouse with no planes to guide. With $1.1 billion, Spain
could have built 22,000 schools. Instead, they built an airport where silence
is louder than the roar of jet engines. In 2020, it sold for just $130 million,
less than a used private jet. Today, it’s partially reopened for cargo flights,
but the terminals still echo like a Tarantino ghost town.
6. The World Islands:
Welcome to Dubai’s World Islands, a $14 billion map of Earth
made of sand. This artificial archipelago of 300 islands was meant for
billionaires to own private islands shaped like “France,” “Australia,” or
“Hollywood.” But today, most islands are drowning or sitting empty. Only one
(yes, ONE) is developed, a “Switzerland” with a single hotel.
Built in the 2000s with enough sand to bury Manhattan, this
project was Dubai’s ultimate flex. Stars like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
reportedly bought islands but never built a thing. The islands are literally
sinking due to erosion, and the 2008 financial crisis turned investors into
ghosts. The islands were supposed to host luxury resorts and mega-mansions.
Instead, they’re home to stray fish and eroded beaches. For $14 billion, you
could buy Luxembourg’s entire GDP but Dubai got a floating ghost town instead.
5. Centro Financiero Confinanzas:
Designed as the country’s largest financial center project to
symbolize Venezuela's economic strength, Centro Financiero Confinanzas, also
known as Torre de David, is one of the world’s tallest abandoned skyscrapers.
This 45-story building, one of the tallest in Latin America, began construction
in 1990. However, construction halted in 1994, just three years later, due to
the death of banker David Brillembourg and the onset of a financial crisis in
the country. At that point, 60% of the skyscraper was completed.
After sitting unused for some time, Centro Financiero
Confinanzas became the tallest shantytown in Venezuela. It was occupied by more
than 200 families during a housing shortage in 2007, growing to 700 families by
2011. Deemed unsafe, the government cleared out the building and evacuated its
residents in 2014. The skyscraper, which also suffered damage to its upper
floors from an earthquake in 2018, remains in an abandoned state in Caracas.
4. The Sky City Tower:
Sky City Tower was set to be the tallest skyscraper in the
world, aiming to surpass even the Burj Khalifa with a staggering height of 838
meters and 220 floors. It was ambitiously planned to shoot up in just 90 days,
faster than the plot of a Marvel movie. Construction began in 2013 under the
daring promise to finish in 90 days. However, engineers quickly stopped the
project due to a shaky design and lack of permits. By 2014, the project was
delayed, leaving behind a 202-meter-tall base of steel beams and broken dreams.
Today, its condensed base stands like a concrete tombstone in Changsha, China.
Locals have dubbed it the "Tower of Broken Promises"—a $1.8 billion
"what if?" that never reached the sky. For comparison, it’s like
building half the Empire State Building and then giving up. If completed, it
would have housed schools, hospitals, and living space for 30,000 people. Now,
it’s merely a ghostly base with cranes rusting in the rain.
3. Largest Ghost Mall, China:
Imagine a mall so big it could fit 100 football fields,
complete with a roller coaster, a pirate ship, and even canals like those in
Venice. Now picture it 99% empty. Welcome to New South China Mall, a $1.3
billion ghost town in the retail world, where shadows outnumber shoppers.
Opened in 2005 as the world's largest mall, it was meant to be a shopper's
paradise with room for 2,350 stores, theme parks, aquariums, and a giant
arcade. But today? Less than 1% of its stores are open. The escalators are
stuck, the food courts are like cobwebbed cafeterias, and the Venetian canals
have turned into stagnant pools of regret. For $1.3 billion, China could have
bought 26 million Big Macs... instead, they got a monument to emptiness. It's
still technically "open," with security guards patrolling halls where
their footsteps echo the loudest. The few remaining stores? A lonely McDonald’s
and a nail salon that see more dust than customers.
2. Eurosky Tower:
Imagine a 120-meter skyscraper in the shadow of the
Colosseum… but instead of Roman glory, it’s a $400 million concrete corpse.
Meet Eurosky Tower—Rome’s abandoned luxury tower which was supposed to be
Italy’s modern marvel—luxury apartments with rooftop pools and skyline views.
Instead, it’s a rotting shell, abandoned mid-construction after corruption
scandals blew up. Started in the 2000s, this tower became a playground for
shady deals. By 2012, the money vanished, leaving a concrete skeleton wrapped
in scaffolding. Today, pigeons nest in empty balconies, and graffiti artists
tag floors meant for penthouse parties. For $400 million, Italy could’ve
restored the Leaning Tower of Pisa 80 times over. Instead, they built a
vertical ghost town. Locals have nicknamed it "The Tower of Shame"—a
modern ruin that makes Nero's follies seem sensible.
1.
Lavasa City:
Imagine building a mini-Italy in the middle of India’s
Western Ghats… but instead of pasta and piazzas, you find half-finished villas,
empty lakes, and a $30 billion lawsuit. Welcome to Lavasa City, a private
utopia that turned into a real-life “Truman Show” set without the cameras or
audience. Launched in 2000, this mega-project promised to house 300,000 people.
But builders hacked down forests, drained rivers, and ignored environmental
laws. By 2010, courts slammed the brakes, calling it “illegal.” Turns out,
bulldozing forests and hillsides isn’t a great look. Today, it’s a ghost town
of cracked roads, empty hotels and buildings swallowed by weeds. For $30
billion they planned to spend, India could’ve built 600 Taj Mahals but instead,
they got a concrete mirage that even monkeys avoid. The saddest part? Lavasa’s
still “alive” on paper, with a skeleton crew maintaining its zombie streets.
And that's it for today. Thanks for watching! Don't
forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more captivating adventures from
4 Ever Green!