Cape Town’s famous landmarks, the Athlone Towers, bite the dust – 22 August 2010

A few minutes before the planned time of 12 noon, the famous landmark Athlone Towers imploded, leaving 21 600 tons of rubble behind. In just 10 seconds, the ‘salt and pepper shaker’ towers were demolished, sending clouds of dust into the sky that were fortunately dampened by a downpour a few minutes later.

Capetonians had gathered from early Sunday morning, looking for the best sites to watch the towers come down. From Rhodes Memorial to De Waal Drive, church towers to the University of Cape Town, residents gathered to watch the final moments of the Athlone Towers.

The City of Cape Town, which owns the land, is still to decide what will take their place. With the rubble taking 30 days to clear, there is time to discuss the future of the famous site.