The 54-story Ponte City Apartments in Johannesburg, South Africa is one of the country's most iconic skyscrapers. Once known as one of the poshest addresses in the country, the cylindrical tower has been in a state of disrepair and decay due to years of neglect. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

With its 54-story cylindrical tower dominating the Johannesburg skyline, the Ponte City Apartments (or Ponte Tower) is the tallest residential building in Africa. It is also crowned by the largest sign in the southern hemisphere. But even with all the superlatives awarded to the iconic tower, Ponte City has suffered from years of neglect and disrepair, its imposing structure a symbol of urban decay.

When the complex was completed in 1975, the tower was set to become , according to the Mail and Guardian. The address was desirable for its scenic views of the city. Developers even planned an indoor ski slope, to be built at the hollow center (called the "core") of the building, which allowed light to enter the inner-facing apartments.

But by the mid-1980s, the tower became known as a "lair" for Johannesburg underworld. In the 1990s, tales of drug dealers, prostitutes and criminals running free within its walls peppered local reports.

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In 2007, the structure and reopening as a chic, Manhattan-style residential complex, according to TIME. The ambitious project failed and ended in bankruptcy amidst the aftermath of the global housing collapse.

For years, Ponte City has been known as a symbol of poverty and indifference. After nearly four decades of decline, the bottom of the tower's lightwell is , according to Curbed.com.

Recently, however, the decaying tower who envision another, but less ambitious,transformation for Ponte City, ArchDaily reported.

For now, residents are slowly finding the complex as a haven for middle-class citizens in the city center. , but not as luxurious as it was before that either, according to WebUrbanist.

In 2012, filmmaker Philip Bloom release a short but fantastic documentary on the iconic tower and its residents. View it .

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