Two and a half years after a devastating earthquake ravaged Haiti, demolition begins at the National Palace.

On Friday, crews began taking down the presidential building - a structure President Michel Martelly has vowed to rebuild.

Plans for the new structure will resemble the former palace - but are designed to withstand earthquakes.

The palace has become a symbol of the devastation on the island and many hope the new building will become a symbol of reconstruction.

Haiti's 2010 earthquake killed more than a quarter of a million people and left over a million homeless.