A close-up view of a hydraulic excavator’s quick-coupler and demolition attachment during the teardown of the former Southgate Office Tower in Bloomington, Minnesota. The worn steel, hydraulic lines, and layers of dust and debris show the heavy strain placed on equipment during large-scale structural demolition. Piles of shattered concrete, insulation, and twisted metal surrounding the attachment reflect the ongoing dismantling of the mid-century office complex.

A Royal Taylor demolition excavator works overnight in downtown Chicago, dismantling the remains of a mid-century parking structure near North Wabash Avenue. The location, part of an area undergoing major redevelopment, reflects the city’s continual cycle of teardown and renewal. Once a dense cluster of low-rise commercial and industrial buildings, this district is being transformed by modern high-rise towers and mixed-use developments that are reshaping the skyline and urban streetscape of central Chicago.