WATCH: Tutwiler Hall Implosion On University Of Alabama Campus

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Approximately 500 pounds of dynamite was used Monday morning to bring down the historic Tutwiler Hall in a matter of seconds.

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The spectacle also included signal flares and plumes of crimson and white corn starch as the implosion began, with scores of locals watching from safe distances.

Unable to see the video link above? Click here to watch the implosion.

The demolition was conducted by Birmingham's D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. and Dykon Explosive Demolition Corporation, from Bixby, Oklahoma.

According to UA, Tutwiler Hall has housed more than 50,000 women since first opening in 1968 and pays homage to Julia Tutwiler, who successfully lobbied UA Board of Trustees to allow female students admittance to the university in 1893.

The first Tutwiler Hall was opened in 1914 and demolished in the late 1960s on the site of the Rose Administration Building.

UA says a comprehensive evaluation of the building determined that a renovation would not be cost-effective, which prompted the UA System to move forward on construction of a new Tutwiler Hall next to the old building.

The new Tutwiler Hall is set to open in August and will remain an all-female dorm primarily serving freshmen, with a bed capacity of 1,284.

University officials said the new residency hall will feature state-of-the-art furnishings and amenities, with a hybrid community-apartment style setup of double-capacity bedrooms.

The site of the now demolished Tutwiler Hall will become green space for the UA campus.

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