Architecture, Interrupted

Plans for prestigious architecture projects often flourish during boom years; the actual construction, though, can wither after the bubble bursts. Work has been halted on 11% of the 1,324 skyscraper projects currently in development, according to German real estate analysts Emporis GmbH. Here are 10 of the most significant projects stopped in their tracks.

Chicago

By Glen Levy Monday, Mar. 30, 2009

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Starchitect Santiago Calatrava's Chicago Spire was supposed to evoke the image of a smoke spiral rising from a campfire along the Chicago River. Due to be completed by 2012, the 150-story tower was meant to be 2,000 feet high, the tallest in the Western Hemisphere and the sixth-highest among all planned skyscrapers. Buyers have already purchased a third of the 1,194 luxury condominiums on offer; Ty Warner, creator of Beanie Baby toys, picked out a $40 million penthouse. But in January, shortly after the foundation was dug, construction faltered; turmoil in financial markets had limited the project's access to credit. Although both Calatrava and local architectural firm Perkins & Will have filed a lien on the project, there are still rays of hope: discussions between unions and the Spire's developer could allow work to recommence soon.

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