Abandoned places

[NurseRatched]

Great thread indeed, NR.

I totally share your fascination. I can't help myself either with abandoned buildings. I climb through fences and peep through windows on tiptoes, I'd do anything possible to just to see the inside.

It's not just the architecture, is it? It's to do with that fact they are abandoned, with all their rich history. It's trying to see what transpires of the life that went on amongst those walls at it's hayday...

And then there is the morbid fascination with decay and finding beauty in it. Think about Rone's amazing pictures painted inside these abandoned buildings, capturing the spirit of the place.

Lovely thread. I think we can move it inside the Architecture Board! Is that ok?

Oh, please move it! That sounds monumentally complex I am grateful if you can accomplish that.

As far as this topic, it IS sad that these fine structures go to rot. I love imagining them in their original glory & rich history, as you say, Dee. The fascination with decay and finding the beauty also draws me in. There is the idea of forced abandonment (like a disaster, earthly or man-made) where there is no choice, or abandonment because upkeep is too costly, or simply ditching the old because everyone wants a clean, modern, digital line instead. It breaks my heart to see structures cast off because of "costly" upkeep.

Lighthouses---a big YES.

[Dee]

It's a deal. We are doing Lighthouses. Inside and outside, working, abandoned and lived-in, all varieties, all over the world. Something I always wanted to research. Thanks, NR. Whoever gets to it first to start...ok? Right now I'm trying to finish reading The Handmaid's Tale by Friday...plus tons of work, but I am looking forward to this. And also to carry on with what you've started here.

I know how much it hurts to see something go to waste because there is no one willing to put money into restoring it. Or they deem it cheaper to knock down and rebuild then restore.

But sometimes it's better to leave things as ruins... like the ruins of a medieval castle... we used to take our kids to these ruins I used to go to as a child. Playing amongst the walls, imagining life as it once was. They did the same we used to do when we were kids. It was wonderful to see the games they played. The view was amazing from the ruins. Those sunsets! Not many people came, there were never crowds. Then one year we went and there were building works. They started restoring the ruins. The next time we visited, we had to pay, there were throngs of people, stalls, reenactments, souvenirs, exhibitions, workshops for kids. And the walls were repaired, stairs and galleries built, even some furniture appeared in places. I guess, it's one way of preserving and teaching history. Bringing it to "life". But I couldn't help it, the place has lost its magic for me completely.

[NurseRatched]

Poignant story, Dee. Some things are better left in ruins and left to the imagination. I envy you that experience, tho...how cool.

Lighthouses-YIPPEE! Yeah, I am buried in work, too...but it will all get accomplished eventually! Thanks, you

[Dee]

We have all the time in the world, NR.

[NurseRatched]

Thanks for rearranging, Dee; makes more sense over here!

[NurseRatched]

This is an abandoned water park in Vietnam! Apparently, it was very costly to build and opened in 2004. The park never gained momentum & was shut down. Ironically, now that it's abandoned, tourists are coming to check things out!



http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ho-thuy-tien

[Dee]

Wow! Looks awesome, doesn't it? I totally get why it's more popular now, as it is rapidly "aging" and the tentacles of decay are creeping round it.

From a different perspective:



Inevitably a subject of graffiti:

[NurseRatched]

Cool additions-thanks! I guess one has to bribe the guards to get in...

[Dee]

I think I've read they are actually selling tickets to go in!

[Dee]

Photo credits: Chris Gray

Kolmanskop was a small settlement in Namibia that saw a boom in the early 1900s when German settlers realized that the area was rich in diamonds. The surge of wealth gave out after WWI, however, when the diamond field began to deplete. By the 1950s, the town was completely deserted, and is now visited by photographers and tourists.

https://www.boredpanda.com/abandoned-places/

[NurseRatched]

The link to the article you posted is brimming with incredible photos! Those Russian houses??!

This Canadian church?!!

[Dee]

Great, aren't they? What an amazing photograph!

And yes, the Russian forest houses are incredibly intricate design. The roof carvings are like lace!
I wonder why they got abandoned.