The demolition of a Birmingham landmark has become an internet hit with more than a thousand people logging on to website YouTube to watch its demise.
Stephenson Tower finally disappeared from the city’s skyline earlier this month after a pain-staking six-month operation to carefully remove it brick by brick.
The demolition of the 22-storey residential tower block was filmed second by second, and a speeded up version of its downfall was posted onto YouTube at the beginning of February.
Since then, more than 1,000 people have logged on to the site to view it being consigned to history. The demolition is the first stage in the construction of a new £100 million John Lewis department store and forms part of the £600 million redevelopment of The Pallasades shopping centre and New Street train station, dubbed the Gateway project.
Construction will get under way by Spring and will see builders creating a mammoth 155,000 sq ft store, which will be the largest John Lewis shop outside of London.
It is estimated it will take more than two years to construct the store, which is to be built over four floors. It is expected to open its doors to shoppers in autumn 2014, creating 650 jobs to staff the shop.
The John Lewis store will be built by some of the 1,000 construction workers who are currently on site to carry out the whole project, expected to be fully completed by the end of 2015.
New Street station will remain open to passengers throughout the project, with passengers noticing the first major changes to their journey at the end of this year when the first half of its new concourse opens over Christmas 2012.
Birmingham Gateway is backed by Birmingham City Council, Network
See the demolition here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGaacV2-aRA
