Munitoria Building

On 7 July 2013, Pretoria’s historic, 44-year-old, 14-storey Munitoria Building disappeared in a matter of seconds after months of preparation for the implosion by Draco Demolition and Tsela Tshweu Construction in this joint venture. It took 120 people a day to ensure a perfect implosion of the 160-m long and 40-m wide building, consisting of 120,000 tons of concrete.

The implosion was heard for many kilometres and reached 140 decibels for those 12 seconds, while the immense dust cloud created took an hour to settle. Precautions taken to reduce the impact on nearby residents, businesses and animals in the Pretoria Zoo proved fully effective. The city’s first implosion in 14 years, and one of the biggest ever, was a truly momentous occasion.