#14: Palace I – Rio de Janeiro (1998)
The collapse of neighboring Palace II immediately raised a terrifying question for residents of Palace I: if the two buildings had been constructed from the same plans, could their tower suffer the same fate? Authorities evacuated Palace I after the February 1998 disaster while engineers conducted detailed inspections of its structural system. Investigators had linked the Palace II collapse to serious problems involving structural calculations and construction, making preventive intervention at its sister building particularly urgent. Palace I subsequently underwent structural recovery work intended to address weaknesses before residents could safely return. The repair process became contentious because the work extended beyond deadlines initially established by municipal authorities, illustrating how difficult it can be to strengthen an occupied high-rise after discovering potentially dangerous deficiencies. Unlike Palace II, which ultimately had to be demolished, Palace I could be preserved through intervention.
