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MAHWAY, New Jersey — A 22-story building in suburban New Jersey was demolished on Saturday and the video of its collapse is oddly satisfying.
The Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah, New Jersey, was a local landmark on the city skyline for nearly 40 years but collapsed in about 10 seconds after its planned implosion. A drone camera captured the demolition video, giving viewers a bird's-eye view of the building's fall.
Machines that appear to be water cannons spray toward the base of the hotel from every side before the explosives are ignited. The structure falls in on itself perfectly, leaving behind an impressive cloud of dust and smoke where the massive glass building once stood.
It may seem counterintuitive to spray water on a building you actually want to set on fire, but according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the water actually helps neutralize the dust created by the collapse. Dust on this large of a scale could be extremely annoying for nearby residents, but it can also be extremely dangerous, since potentially hazardous particles from the building, like silica and asbestos, would become airborne if present.
The building was erected in the 1980s and became known for its unique shape and appearance, which made it seem more like a supervillain's headquarters than any hotel I've ever stayed in. It had 225 hotel rooms and 22 floors, making it the tallest building in the town when it was constructed.
The person who recorded its collapse explained that the building was demolished as part of a long-awaited redevelopment plan, though it is still undecided what will replace the previous structure.
Watching the building collapse is oddly sad and satisfying at the same time, but more than anything, it makes me grateful I'm not the one who has to clean it up.
