Ocean Tower
| Ocean Tower SPI | |
|---|---|
Leaning Tower of South Padre | |
Interactive map of the Ocean Tower SPI area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Architectural style | Postmodernism |
| Location | South Padre Island, Texas, United States, Padre Boulevard across SPI Convention Center |
| Coordinates | 26°08′47″N 97°10′16″W / 26.146459°N 97.171141°W |
| Construction started | February 2, 2006 |
| Construction stopped | May 2008 |
| Demolished | December 13, 2009 |
| Height | |
| Height | 115.51 metres (379.0 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | 401 16-inch diameter auger-cast piles |
| Material | Reinforced concrete |
| Floor count | 31 |
| Lifts/elevators | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Metropolitan Capital Advisors, Ltd. |
| Architecture firm | Walker & Perez, Inc. |
| Developer | Coastal Constructors Southwest Ventures |
| Engineer | Raba Kistner, Inc. |
| Structural engineer | Datum Engineers |
| Civil engineer | Raba‑Kistner Consulting Engineers |
| Other designers | Ocean Tower LP. |
| Quantity surveyor | Metropolitan Capital Advisors, Ltd. |
| Main contractor | Zachary Construction |
| Known for | Tallest Reinforced Concrete Demolition |
| Renovating team | |
| Main contractor | Controlled Demolition, Inc. |
| Awards and prizes | Tallest Demolition of Structural Concrete |
| Other information | |
| Parking | Garage |
Ocean Tower SPI was an unfinished, 31-story residential skyscraper in South Padre Island, Cameron County, Texas, United States, that was imploded when it was deemed unsafe to remain standing. Construction was halted in May 2008 when cracks formed in the building's supporting columns, and investigations revealed that the core of the skyscraper had sunk by more than 14 inches (360 mm). Though the developers initially vowed to fix the problem, studies discovered that repairs would have been too expensive, and plans for its demolition were announced in September 2009. At the time of its controlled implosion in December 2009 the building weighed 55,000 short tons (50,000 t), and it was the tallest reinforced concrete structure to be demolished in that way. It was nicknamed "Faulty Towers" and "The Leaning Tower of South Padre Island".