Tower of the Americas (Napoleon's World)

The Tower of the Americas was a skyscraper located in Havana, Cuba, completed in 1934 during the skyscraper race. Topped out at 1,050 feet, it was the tallest building in the United States outside of New York, and was called the "Beacon of Havana" and was one of the city's most notable landmarks. It was part of the Plaza of the Americas in central Havana, a downtown district that included a baseball stadium, four department stores, a massive square, an opera and a theater, all with heavy art deco and neo-gothic architectural themes. However, much of the Plaza was damaged by a fire in 1949, which consumed much of the skyscraper, killing 232 people before firefighters were able to bring it under control. In 1951, the building was demolished along with most of the plaza, ending a period of growth and prosperity in Havana often associated with art deco, lavish architecture and various construction projects. The building's fate is often cited as an inspiration for the film The Towering Inferno, and resulted in much more stringent requirements in skyscraper construction in future years.