Visitors to Japan are often struck by its clean streets and efficient transportation, so it might not be such a surprise to see the country come up with an elegant solution to the messy problem of demolition. The Taisei Ecological Reproduction System is designed to safely bring down buildings over 328 feet high, and involves bringing cranes inside the building to take apart each floor. Temporary columns are used to prop up the roof, and are progressively lowered by jacks — the effect makes it look like the building is being constructed in reverse, coming down step by step. The technique has been used on the 456-foot Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, which closed down nearly two years ago. The advantages of the technique go beyond safety and aesthetics — it cuts down noise by 17 to 23 decibels, reduces dust by up to 90%, and is said to be more environmentally friendly.
