Tallest Domino Tower

AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Hevesh stands next to the completed 33.25-foot-tall tower.

AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES

DOMINO DESIGNER: Hevesh sets up an elaborate domino run.

thousands of tiny tiles to create a soaring three-story domino tower. At 10.1 meters (33.25 feet) tall, it was the tallest domino structure ever created. The project, led by 25-year-old domino artist Lily Hevesh, was part of an exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

During construction, Hevesh’s team of domino artists had to constantly make sure the tower wasn’t crooked, swaying, or tilting to one side. Otherwise, it could come crashing down! “When you’re building something this tall, just a few millimeters off can make an enormous difference in the tower’s stability,” says Hevesh.

It took four days to place all 10,422 dominoes. Then came Hevesh’s favorite part: knocking them down! A team member threw a squirrel plushy at the top of the tower. Then the downward pull of gravity took over, causing the structure to collapse in a cascade of colorful tiles.

AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES

BUILD IT BIGGER: The height of Hevesh’s tower had to exceed the previous record of 30.1 feet.

Read more about Lily Hevesh in “Domino Designer,” Science World, February 11, 2019

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