Image by cwwycoff1

American architect Julia Morgan said: “Architecture is a visual art, and the buildings speak for themselves.”  Whether or not you agree with Morgan’s sentiments, her words could not have related more perfectly to these bizarre architectural specimens from far flung corners of the world.  Here are six buildings that really do speak for themselves!

Hang Nga Guesthouse, Vietnam

Images by Tom Ravenscroft

The Hang Nga Guesthouse in Vietnam is truly one of the world’s most bizarre buildings.  In terms of appearance, it looks like it’s been plucked right out of a fairy tale and opened up to paying guests – or people who just want to call in and explore the maze of twisting corridors and hidden rooms.  Conceptually, nothing fits.  Hang Nga Guesthouse conforms to no particular architectural style, and none of the windows and doors are the same shape.  Inside and out, large animal statues peer disconcertingly at passers-by.  Here are some reviews you might find useful if you’re thinking of dropping by next time you’re in Vietnam.

WonderWorks, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Images by @cdharrison

The imaginatively bizarre design of WonderWorks couldn’t be more appropriate for a building of adventure that will literally turn your world upside down.  Inside you’ll find all manner of interactive wonders, from an inversion tunnel to illusion gallery, bubble lab and “Wonder Coasters”.  You may also want to test your abilities in the Challenge Zone, Space Zone and, if you have what it takes, the Disaster Zone.  Click here to find out more.

The Dancing House, Prague

Image by Omar Omar

The Dancing House is the nickname of a building holding several multinational companies in downtown Prague, Czech Republic.  The building was designed in 1992 by Vlado Milunic in cooperation with Canadian architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot.

Images by Hermés

The Dancing House was completed in 1996 on the site of a previous building demolished in the 1945 bombing of Prague.  It opened amid a great deal of architectural controversy but has since become a local landmark.  Vaguely resembling a pair of dancers, the eponymous Dancing House was originally named Fred and Ginger, after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo

Image by pict_u_re

The Nakagin Capsule Tower is a mixed use residential and office tower completed in 1972.  The avant-garde design was considered to be the way of the future when the building was designed.  Built around two interconnected concrete towers, the live/work “capsules” are designed to be replaceble and secured to the structure only by four high-tension bolts.

Images by pict_u_re

Image by Chris 73

(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported)

Individual capsules are tiny, measuring only 8 feet long by 12 feet wide and 7 feet high.  Should an occupant desire more space, additional capsules may be attached to make the overall accomodation larger.  Despite its futuristic design and grand aspirations of the young Japanese architects behind the project, the building has fallen into disrepair.  The Nakagin Capsule Tower remains occupied but none of the capsules have ever been replaced.

Lotus Temple, India

Image by souravdas

The Bahá’í House of Worship in Delhi, India, is popularly known as the Lotus Temple because of its distinctive flower-like shape.  Completed in 1986, it has won numerous architectural awards and has been the subject of hundreds of articles.

Images by MACSURAK

Inspired by the lotus flower, its design is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad “petals” arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides.  Lotus Temple welcomes four million visitors each year.  As of late 2002, it had attracted more than 50 million visitors, making it one of the most visited buildings in the world.  During those years, visitor numbers to Lotus Temple surpassed those of the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal.

Beijing National Stadium, China

Image by Francisco Diez

The Beijing National Stadium, built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, is colloquially known as the Bird’s Nest due to its strange form and bizarre, twig-like appearance.  The $423 million stadium is the world’s largest steel structure, and certainly the most impressive looking bird’s nest!

Images by cmaccubbin

The design emerged from a study of Chinese ceramics, with steel beams to hide supports for the retractable roof – leading to the famous bird’s nest appearance.  But ironically the retractable roof was later removed from the design after inspiring the design’s most celebrated aspect.  Plans are currently underway for a shopping mall and a hotel, to help revive the stadium which has been under-utilised since the 2008 competition.

If you enjoyed this article, don’t miss 5 Bizarre Buildings From Europe to North America.  For more crazy architecture, check out this article on Photo Outpost.

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Image by Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III

They say any landing you walk away from is a good one.  But does the same thing go for ejecting?  In this amazing sequence of footage we see aircraft colliding with one another, overshooting aircraft carrier runways and simply breaking apart in mid-air – with the pilots at the controls “banging out” out at the last possible second.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The amazing image (top) was captured in 2003 at the exact moment that Thunderbirds pilot Captain Chris Stricklin made his timely exit from the doomed jet.  This video takes you through the sequence of events culminating in the ejection, including amazing cockpit footage as the pilot bangs out.

Harrier Jump Jet

It is not everyday that bathers are treated to an offshore display by a Harrier jump-jet.  It is even less common that, during such a display, the Harrier should suddenly lose its lift in the hover and plunge into the sea.  Luckily the pilot didn’t have too far to go to reach dry land!

F-117 Stealth Fighter

For years the F-117 Stealth Fighter, known as the Nighthawk, existed in the shadowy world of top secret military aircraft programs.  But this clip shows the moment when aviation legend becomes stark reality – in a rather destructive manner.  As the stricken jet tumbles out of the sky, an airshow commentator calmly says: “Everyone just stay where you are and watch the rest of the show.  We have a couple more things coming up here shortly so you may want to get a bite to eat and something to drink…”  Meanwhile, one family near the base was  enjoying a barbecue in the garden, when their house was suddenly demolished and replaced by the wreck of a Stealth Fighter.  The pilot landed safely on the driveway, and remarkably nobody was hurt – although he probably wasn’t a very popular man!

Mig 29 Fulcrum

The Russians have ejected on several occasions in front of airshow crowds and have thus developed some of the most impressive ejection seats in the world – as this video goes to show!  Thankfully – despite his parachute opening immediately before hitting the ground – this intrepid flyer lived to tell the tale of how one of our little feathered friends reportedly brought down one of the world’s finest fighter planes.

Mig 29 Collision

In this incredible scene, Russian display pilots collide during a close pass at the Fairford International Air Tattoo in England.  As the planes close in on one another, the wing of one slices through the back of the other.  Both pilots eject as the Mig 29’s fall out of the sky.  Incredibly, no one was seriously hurt.  The only alleged injury was a broken nose when one pilot punched the other back on terra firma.

A-10 Thunderbolt Slow Motion Ejection

This ejection sequence happens in slow motion right in front of the camera.  The reason behind the crash is unclear although the perfect timing of camera and ejection probably means the event was a test.  And a rather expensive one too, judging by how many pieces the A-10 breaks into when it slams into the desert floor!

A-6 Intruder

The image quality of this video isn’t great but it’s worth a mention nevertheless.  This is one of those rare occasions when a plane landing on a carrier can’t stop in time and lethargically lunges off the end.  In accordance with carrier landing procedure, the pilots apply full throttle when the aircraft touches down to ensure that, in the event of the arrester hook missing the cable, they have enough power to get airborne again.  With the aircraft plummeting towards the sea, both pilots eject.  But what sets this clip apart is that rather than simply plunging into the ocean, the Intruder climbs away happily on full power with nobody at the controls…

SU-33 Flanker

This was an unfortunate of case of a broken arrester cable on this Russian aircraft carrier.  There was nothing the pilot could have done to avoid this accident, but thankfully his reactions were more reliable than the ship’s arrester cable.

A-7 Corsair

Whoops!  And now a particularly unfortunate one…  This poor A-7 Corsair hadn’t even got airborne before a total hydraulic failure while taxiing across the deck of aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson saw the plane topple over the side.  Thankfully the fast reactions of the pilot saved man if not machine.

F-16 Thunderbird

This is the same ejection as the first video in this article, but showing the event from outside the plane rather than the cockpit.  The pilot can barely be seen ejecting just a second before the F-16 crashes into the runway in a ball of flames.  Thankfully, he lived to tell the tale – and get banned from the display team in the process…

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Image by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jeffrey P. Kraus (U.S. Navy)

On May 17, 2006 the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany was sunk off the coast of Florida, becoming the world’s largest artificial reef.  This article, including 41 great images, examines Oriskany’s naval career from construction to the Vietnam War to her final fate as a haven for marine life and recreation spot for divers.

Oriskany is Launched

Images via U.S. Navy

Oriskany was laid down on May 1, 1944 at the New York Naval Shipyard and finally commissioned in September 1950.  Conceived as a “long-hulled” Essex-class carrier, construction halted in 1947 to allow for design updates, which spearheaded the modernization of 14 other carriers of her class.  Because of this, some considered Oriskany to be in a class of her own – Ticonderoga class.  Displacing 30,800 tons of water, Oriskany earned the nickname Might O.

Korean and Vietnam Wars

Images via U.S. Navy

Oriskany mainly operated in the Pacific Ocean, earning two battle stars during the Korean War and five for service in Vietnam.  In 1957 a major overhaul saw the fitting of a new angled flight deck, updated aircraft elevators, enclosed hurricane bow and powerful new steam catapults to replace older hydraulic ones.  The wooden deck was replaced with aluminium planking.  Between May 10 and December 6, 1965, Oriskany launched over 12,000 combat missions and delivered almost 10,000 tons of ordnance against the Viet Cong.

Deadly Fire

Image by U.S. Navy

Disaster struck on October 26, 1966.  A magnesium parachute flare ignited accidentally and exploded in the weapons locker of Hangar Bay 1, beneath the carriers flight deck.  The horrific fire that ensued caused the deaths of 44 men, most of them veteran combat pilots who had flown raids over Vietnam only a few hours earlier.  The cause was found to be human error, although it transpired that one in every thousand flares could ignite accidentally if jarred.  Five crew members were cleared of any wrong-doing, and flares were redesigned to make them safer.

Accidents and Crashes

Top two images via U.S. Navy; bottom image by U.S. Air Force

The Mighty O also witnessed its fair share of aircraft accidents throughout its tenure.  On October 26, 1967, then-Lieutenant Commander John McCain was shot down during his 23rd bombing mission of the Vietnam War, flying an A-4 Skyhawk (similar to the one pictured above, middle).

Patrolling the Skies

Image via U.S. Navy

During the Cold War the Oriskany’s air wing intercepted Russian aircraft that got too close for comfort.  In this scene, a Vought F-8J Crusader  intercepts a Soviet Tupolev TU-95 Bear-A/B reconnaissance aircraft on May 25, 1974.  The Oriskany can clearly be seen steaming along in the background.

Supercarriers Together

Image via U.S. Navy

The Oriskany may well have been “mighty”, but it looks pretty small compared to some of its younger counterparts like the massive USS Enterprise (right).  On the far left is the USS Coral Sea, and next to it the USS Hancock (both now scrapped).  Both the Hancock and the Oriskany were Essex-class carriers and thus roughly the same size, with Oriskany only marginally larger.  This images was captured at Naval Air Station Alameda, California, on July 4, 1974.  The Hancock was sold for scrap in 1976, and already looks like it’s been stripped of most useful parts.

Decommissioned and Prepared for Sinking

Images via U.S. Navy

Oriskany was decommissioned in 1976 and slowly gutted of any useful parts.  Finally sold for scrap in 1995, she was repossessed due to lack of progress in 1997 and eventually towed to Pensacola, Florida.  After considerable environmental remediation work, Might O was deemed safe to sink as an artificial reef.  Pictured above nearing the end on April 17, 2006, technicians overlook the rusting hulk amid preparations to scuttled the carrier.  The final resting place was set to be the Gulf of Mexico, 22 miles south of Pensacola in approximately 212 feet of water.

Oriskany’s Final Voyage

Images via U.S. Navy

One month later, on May 17, 2006, Oriskany was towed out of Pensacola on her final voyage.  A Navy explosives team rigged the carrier was approximately 500 lbs of C-4 explosive, strategically placed on 22 sea connection pipes in various parts of the ship.  Just 37 minutes after detonation, the massive ship slipped beneath the waves stern first, becoming the world’s largest artificial reef.

Oriskany Slips Beneath the Waves – a Massive Swell

Images via U.S. Navy

All went according to plan and the ship came to rest upright on the ocean floor. The flight deck was at a depth of 135 feet but sank 10 feet deeper during Hurricane Gustav.  Accessible to recreational divers, Oriskany is now fondly known as the “Great Carrier Reef” in a nod to the popular Australian dive spot, and was named by the Times of London as one of the top ten wreck dives in the world.  The moment the Mighty O hit the ocean floor, ownership was transferred from the U.S. Navy to the State of Florida.

Great Carrier Reef

Image via U.S. Navy

On July 6, 2007, Personnel Specialist 1st Class Kevin Armold was re-enlisted by Army Maj. Shean Phelps on the deck of the recently sunk USS Oriskany.  This was the first re-enlistment to be held on the sunken aircraft carrier.

Images by Gareth Richards

Two years on, most of the surfaces on the Mighty O had become the domain of shells and sea urchins.  And in the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Carrier Reef is certain to boost Florida tourist numbers as divers from all over the world explore the historic decks, hangars and sunken corridors of this incredible ship.  USS Oriskany was also mentioned briefly in this previous article: Deep Blue Sea: Aircraft & Aircraft Carriers Lost Beneath the Waves.  It also received a mention in a fantastic article on Dark Roasted Blend.

If you enjoyed this article, here it is again boiled down into one minute of video footage thanks to Reuters!

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Image by Dave Pape

The magnificent Buffalo Central Terminal received a brief mention in a previous article: 5 Awesome Abandoned Railway Stations.  But the building’s history and character, combined with a wealth of amazing photographs flying around the web, made it a prime contender for its own dedicated post.  Come in and explore…

Image by Dpunaro

(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Buffalo Central Terminal is an imposing art deco railway station in the city of Buffalo, New York.  Opened in 1929 for the New York Central Railroad, it could accomodate more than 3,200 passengers every hour.  The station boasts a 225-foot-long domed concourse, a 15 storey office tower plus observation deck (not including the main floor), and a 450-foot-long train concourse equipped with 14 high-level platforms (above).

Images by Hannaford

The New York Central Railroad had two stations in Buffalo in the early twentieth century – Exchange Street Station and the Terrace Station.  Both were old and plagued by the downtown congestion of a city of 1.5 million people.  So New York Central opted to build the new Buffalo Central Terminal 2.5 miles to the east of the downtown.  The rationale was clear: reduced congestion improved station access and made shunting trains easier, while the location was better for trains not terminating in Buffalo.

Images by dmealiffe

Despite its forlorn appearance today, Buffalo Central Terminal was state-of-the-art when it opened.  The vast concourse was less claustrophobic for passengers while the roomier track-side eased the transfer of sleeping cars between trains.  At the time, Buffalo was a booming city.  The company believed that soon, the distance between the station and the center of the expanding metropolis would narrow.

Images by dmealiffe

The Terminal’s luck nose-dived sharply after World War Two.  Decreased passenger revenues led to the demolition part of the complex in 1966.  In 1968, the New York Central merged into Penn Central Transport and the Terminal was operated for three more years until Amtrak exploded onto the scene in 1971.  Its usage plumetted further and the last train left the Buffalo Central Terminal on October 28, 1971.  The Terminal offices closed in 1980.

Images by dmealiffe

In 1986 Buffalo Central Terminal was auctioned off for the relatively tiny sum of $100,000 – to the only person to place a bid.  Changing hands again, it fell into complete dereliction and saw much of its famous fixtures stripped out and sold.  A famous plaster bison which once stood in the main concourse was destroyed when someone trying to remove ceiling lights backed a truck into it.  Ironically, the only thing that saved the building from demolition was the cost of doing so – around $12 million.

Images by dmealiffe

The irritated owners, responding to criticism from preservationists, said: “If you think you could do a better job, I’ll sell it to you for a dollar.”  Thankfully, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation forked out the princely sum and took on the challenge of renovating the old station.  Thanks to them, the building has been secured and debris shown in the images above has been removed.  The Terminal is no longer abandoned and continues to make good progress on the long and winding road to restoration.  Drop by their website and say hello if you have a chance!

Job Posting

The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation is currently looking for an experienced grant writer to help move the preservation and restoration effort forward.  Can you help out?

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Image by James Humphreys

(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported)

This mighty delta forms the unmistakable outline of the iconic Vulcan bomber, Britain’s Cold War nuclear deterrent.  The Vulcan in the picture, XH558, is the last flying example of the type, kept alive by a dedicated team of enthusiasts and the unconditional support of her fans.  But not all Vulcans have been so lucky…

Image by Fergal Goodman

Image by Fergal Goodman

Here lies the forlorn remains of Vulcan XL392, used for fire fighting practice at RAF Valley, Anglesey.  The awesome size and might of the Vulcan that defended the country and thrilled airshow crowds also made it an ideal candidate for fire training.  While many aircraft would be destroyed quite swiftly, Vulcans survived the heat for years.  The top picture shows XL392 relatively intact in 1983.  Two years later and it’s a rather different story, although this Vulcan managed almost another decade before its charred remains were scrapped.

Images by Supermac 1961

XH558 was retired from RAF service in 1984 but continued flying as a display aircraft until 1992, when the government pulled the plug on funding.  Unlikely to ever fly again, more than a decade later a mammoth restoration effort began to restore the Vulcan to flying condition.  The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, the charity that owns XH558, raised over £6 million to overhaul the aircraft and secure a license to fly – seemingly achieving the impossible!  In 2007, the mighty Vulcan flew for the first time in 15 years, testament to the incredible work of the Trust and the generous support of fans across the world.  And thanks to a mystery donation the Vulcan has just been saved from likely permanent grounding, but funding is still a grave concern.  The Vulcan celebrates its 50th birthday this year.  Click here to support the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

Here is the moment so many people waited years for – XH558 returns to flight in 2007 after her long hiatus.  The hollow howl of the four olympus engines was music to the ears of many:

And finally, XH558 arriving at RAF Waddington – the base where she spent most of her service career – for the first time since 1992; a proud and poignant moment for all involved – and a big round of applause to prove it:

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Image by b0r0da

The answer is highly subjective, but many urban explorers and those fascinated by hidden history would say “yes”.  Smashing Magazine explores the subject of urban decay in a fantastic must-see photo essay, while this collection of 42 stunning images should help you decide.  Please let us know what you think!

Images by craigfinlay

The pictures above show the abandoned City Methodist Church and the auditorium of a former school in Gary Indiana.  The church has been featured in several previous articles on Urban Ghosts Media (see here and here) but like photographer Craig Finlay points out, it is the “Mt Fuji of urbex”!

Images by craigfinlay

Craig Finlay’s awesome images are among some of the best to be found on Flickr, and have been featured in several articles found on this site.  Be sure to check them out via the attribution links beneath the pictures, and also on Bearings – a fantastic repository of fascinating media!  The bottom two pictures show the old Harland and Wolff drawing office, where the Titanic and other great White Star liners were conceived.  More great images here.

Images by tibchris

Whether or not there is beauty in decay, there’s no question that certain images of urban abandonment appeal to a broad cross-section of people – for reasons we often can’t fathom.  These haunting pictures of Bodie ghost town in California show the awesome effects that can be achieved, and how particular techniques are ideal for such a subject.  Bodie also featured in the early days of this blog, and again with this collection of Wild West ghost towns.

Image by kainet

This grand old building in Budapest reflect urban decay at work in Eastern Europe.  The magnificent architecture is no match for the passage of time and a lack of proper maintenance, as the stone facade is gradually stripped back to crumbling brick.  At least the carved heads above the windows remain in good shape – but are they gargoyles?

Images by mattwi1s0n

From one beautiful old Mediterranean building to something you definitely don’t see every day!  If someone got this Mini down it might even be worth restoring…

Images by Irargerich

Infrared photography is certainly one way to infuse urban abandonments with a plethora of pretty pigments.  Still, the church has an eerie glow about it – almost like a pinkish mist – with the guardian angel watching silently from above.

Images by Simple Insomnia

So what’s the verdict?  Is there beauty in urban decay?  It’s far too subjective to say.  But beauty or not, there’s certainly wonder and fascination – and plenty of scenes for great photography, as the images above of the decaying Deer Lodge and old prison in Montana show.  What are your thoughts?

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Image by Proper Pictures

In the small town of Ashland, Pennsylvania, Route 61 takes an unexplained detour, while a sign saying “Keep Out” straddles the original highway.  Anyone who ignores the warning will arrive in the abandoned town of Centralia, where an underground mine fire has been burning since 1962.

Images by Lyndi&Jason

Residents using an abandoned mine pit as a landfill accidentally ignited a vein of anthracite coal.  Despite efforts to stymie the subterranean blaze and millions of dollars spent, the fire still burns to this day.  It is estimated that the eight-mile vein could feed the inferno for upto 250 years, and the town has been all but condemned as a result.  Some houses still stand but most have been demolished.  The bulk of the town’s population can be found in its Russian Orthodox cemetery, while a time capsule sealed in 1966 is set to be re-opened by former residents in 2016.  In its heyday, Centralia had five hotels, seven churches, 19 general stores, two jewelry stores and 26 saloons.  For more information and some great pictures, be sure to check out our friends at Forgotten Pennsylvania.

“Abandonment of the Day” is a short daily article featuring a specific urban abandonment and the history behind it, designed to whet the appetites of readers and offer a sneak peek of upcoming content.  Most importantly, if you have a great idea for an article, please don’t hesitate to let us know!

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Image by Neil Creek

(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)

The spellbinding Pinnacles in the eponymous Pinnacles Desert are among Australia’s most impressive limestone rock formations.  Created from the seashells of an ancient ocean rich in marine life, the shells were broken down into lime rich sand blown inland to form high dunes.

From these dunes, the formation of the Pinnacles emerged, looking more like somewhere from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away than earthly monoliths.  Check out Neil’s website for more of his work.

“Photograph of the Day” features the work of a specific photographer on subject-matter related to this magazine.  The aim is to deliver fascinating content from the far-flung corners of the internet.  If you’d like to submit a photo, please get in touch via the contact form.

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Image by LHOON

Belgium is a beautiful country full of picturesque little villages and quaint medieval towns.  It is also home to the European Union.  But there is an underbelly of urban decay that eludes the cultural fanfare and escapes a mention in the Lonely Planet.  This article explores some of Belgium’s urban and industrial abandonments.

Images by LHOON

The abandoned houses above can – or should I say, could – be found on the Lamot block in Adegem Street, Mechelen.  Despite their notable architecture, they were clearly deemed uneconomical to repair – or perhaps a blight on the pleasant cityscape – and demolished shortly after.

Images by LHOON

Ghent is one of Belgium’s finest cities, and these former workers’ houses in Brunel Street and Sikkel Street clearly didn’t help promote that image.  Corrigated metal sheeting covers the ground floor doors and windows, presumably to repel the squatters that have nevertheless found a way in anyway.  The park that is set to replace these buildings once demolition comes along will more than transform these fallen communities.  Are those tram lines beneath the cobbled streets?

Images by LHOON

The surprisingly ornate factory above is an abandoned textile plant called Alsberghe-Van Oost in Ghent.  The complex has been vacant for more than 25 years, although part of the structure is listed – probably the bit with the Neo Classical columns!  The closure of Alsberghe-Van Oost could even be responsible for the abandoned streets above.  After all, shutting down industrial buildings often decimates the blue-collar communities around them.

Images by LHOON

Photographer LHOON ironically titles the images above Brussels, the capital of Europe.  Is this what you would expect from a city that is home to the European Commission and the European Council of Ministers?  Brussels is one of the world’s foremost decision making centres, but just like Washington, DC and its surrounding area, even the great cities have their shadowy sides.

Images by LHOON

This abandoned industrial complex is an old petroleum depot south of Antwerp.  The site is heavily overgrown and a think layer of rust seems to cover most of the metal surfaces.  The railway line even comes complete with old petroleum trucks, and a brick furnace with chimney stands amongst the trees – reasonably well intact, albeit with a conservative dash of graffiti.

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Image by Snowdog

Some time ago Weburbanist did a fantastic article entitled 7 Submerged Wonders of the World, highlighting an astounding selection of underwater cities, monuments and statues.  Here’s one with a twist!  This semi-submerged bell tower is all that can be seen of the church at Curon Venosta, a small Northern Italian town flooded to make way for an artificial lake.

(Images via Luca Lorenzi (left) and Frederik Schulz, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

In winter, when the lake freezes, the old church tower can be reached on foot.  Something of a local landmark, it has received restoration work to protect it against water freezing in cracks within the masonry.  Legend has it that on a cold winter’s day the bells can be heard ringing out across the lake.  And a logical explanation for this is scuppered by the fact that the bells were removed years ago, before the lake was flooded.

“Photograph of the Day” features the work of a specific photographer on subject-matter related to this magazine.  The aim is to deliver fascinating content from the far-flung corners of the internet.  If you’d like to submit a photo, please get in touch via the contact form.

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Image by Anders B.

It has become something of a cliche for gothic horror films to begin with the wind rustling through the branches of an old yew tree in an overgrown cemetery, with a wolf howling away in the background.  But it’s hard not to be taken in by it with these tangled grave stones fit for any Hammer Horror production and catacombs worthy of Indiana Jones.

Images by Anders B.

Highgate Cemetery in London is the quintessential example, with its famed Egyprian Avenue and gravestones that have been so consumed by undergrowth that it seems the plants are trying to drag them below the earth.  The cemetery was built in 1839 to ease overcrowding caused by the sheer number of burials in London’s inner city graveyards.  Health concerns and the undignified treatment of the dead resulting from overcrowding were the main reasons to open Highgate, one of seven large cemeteries around London known as the Magnificent Seven.  As well as being the burial place of Karl Marx, Highgate Cemetery is known for its so-called occult past, specifically the alleged Highgate Vampire – now a mainstay of local legend and folklore.

Image by snappybex

The angel in this cemetery in Plymouth, England, almost appears to be weeping, as rain water runs down its face and drips off the end of its nose.  It seems rather fitting given the overgrown state of the place, where some grave stones emerge from the long grass while other smaller ones – often those of children or paupers – become hidden in the undergrowth.

Images by snappybex

But this is a place where life really does go on!  Cemeteries – particularly old ones that have become unkempt over the years since their plots filled up and local authorities stopped maintaining them – are great sources of plant and animal life.  The rain may not be good for the stones in the long run, as they begin to list and eventually topple, but it’s definitely good for the ecosystem!

Images by id46sydney

The photographs above show family vaults opened and abandoned.  Grand vaults and tombs such as these were the final resting places of the well-off, although you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise after seeing these family burial places in less than affluent condition.  The name can still be made out above the entrance, but the residents have surely gone.

Images by deglispiriti

The Rome Catacombs are even more extensive than their famous counterpart in Paris.  The Basilica of Saint Cecilia is one of the most sacred areas of the catacombs, beneath which lies the Crypt of Saint Cecilia, the Crypt of the Sacraments and the Crypt of the Popes, where around nine early Popes were laid to rest.  Saint Cecilia’s grave is located in one of the underground chambers, although her relics were removed in AD 821.  While the bones in the Rome Catacombs are predominantly Christian, pagan and Jewish burials also took place there – some in separate chambers, but many mixed together.

Image by Jsome1

The incredible Chapel of Bones is one of the most famous monuments in Evora, Portugal.  Built by a Franciscan monk during the 16th century, this hall of death is built with one purpose in mind – to reflect the transitory nature of life.  The forboding warning above the entrance famously reads Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos, which translates roughly to: We bones that are here, for your bones we wait.

Images by Jsome1

There is thought to be more than 5,000 skeletons lining the walls of the Chapel of Bones, which is itself a small interior chapel adjacent to the entrance of the Church of St Francis.  The scene feels somewhat grizzly for the house of God.  The walls of the chapel and its eight pillars are “decorated” in carefully arranged skulls and bones, all formerly belonging to monks.  Most gruesome of all, dangling from chains attached to the ceiling are two desiccated corpses, one of which is a child.

Images by author

The graves above are a curious feature in the Yorkshire town of Holmfirth, UK.  The gothic design of the stones and dates engraved into them place these burials in the 19th century, although there appears to be no church nearby – at least not an existing one – and the stones can be found standing in an overgrown corner of a small car park.  Not exactly what you’d expect from a Victorian burial ground – and a rather grand one by the look of the graves – but this must once have been the site of a much larger cemetery.

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Image by Christian Haugen

The mysterious Nasca Lines etched into the desert of Peru are among the world’s most puzzling ancient geoglyphs.  Photographer Christian Haugen has captured one of the many carvings fantastically, which also include stylised hummingbirds, monkeys, sharks, lizards and so on.  Scholars remain divided on when the Nasca Lines were built and what their purpose may have been.  But this fascinating article in National Geographic entitled Spirits in the Sand may shed new light on the enigma.

“Photograph of the Day” features the work of a specific photographer on subject-matter related to this magazine.  The aim is to deliver fascinating content from the far-flung corners of the internet.  If you’d like to submit a photo, please get in touch via the contact form.

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Image by stopthegears

Abandoned tunnels are enough to spur the imagination of most urban explorers.  The subterranean world beneath some city streets is a labyrinth of deserted subways and abandoned stations.  Cincinnati not only hides America’s largest abandoned subway, but one that was also doomed before the completion of the project could ever be realised.

Images by Cincinnati-Transit.net

These incredible images show the extent of the hidden world beneath the streets of Cincinnati.  During the early half of the twentieth century, three underground stations were built along a single line that would never ultimately exist.  Halted by two World Wars and the Great Depression, the infrastructure has remained eerily silent since the tunnel entrances were locked more than 80 years ago.  For more information about the Cincinnati Subway, check out this great article from Planet Oddity.

“Abandonment of the Day” is a short daily article featuring a specific urban abandonment and the history behind it, designed to whet the appetites of readers and offer a sneak peek of upcoming content.  Most importantly, if you have a great idea for an article, please don’t hesitate to let us know!  (All images courtesy of Cincinnati-Transit.net)

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Image by Iman

Very often city bosses are quick to bulldoze deserted buildings that stand on prime locations.  But thankfully that is not the case with Manchester’s spectacular Victoria Baths.  Closed since 1993, the incredibly intact interior and Edwardian-era styling make the baths a photographer’s dream.

Image by shevy

The internal features are mirrored in their elegance by the Victoria Baths’ outward design.  Built from red brick – used prominently in Manchester and across the north west of England – punctuated with terracotta decoration, Victoria Baths evokes the grandeur of Victorian/Edwardian architecture, seen in hotels, swimming baths, railway stations and other public buildings of the era.  At the time of construction in 1906, Manchester had one of the wealthiest municipal coffers in the world.

Images by pit-yacker

While many old swimming baths and other similar buildings still exist today, most have been gutted if their internal splendour and converted for other uses.  Pubs and bars are a common example, often making considerable effort to retain some of the ornate features – but most importantly saving the historic buildings for future generations.  The stained glass windows and spectacular green tiling is a defining feature of the Victoria Baths.

Images by artethgray

No expense was spared during the construction of Victoria Baths.  In addition to the tiling, fine woodwork and iron mongery produced by a skilled generation of master craftsmen graced the entrances and offices of the building.  Above can be seen an iron ballustrade topping sillouetted against the backdrop of the womens’ pool.  There are three pools, including one for men and one for women.  The main pool was covered over in winter months and used as a dance hall.

Images by artethgray

Operating Victoria Baths – which also included a Turkish baths – required a large amount of below-ground machinary, piping and filtration systems.  Above can be seen that same system today, covered in more than a decade of dirt but otherwise still seemingly intact.

Images by BinaryApe

The elegant design continues into the pool areas themselves, with high stained glass windows, ornate changing facilities around the top balconies of the pools, and a fantastic fish mosaic swimming within the deep green tiling.

Image by essers

The steam rooms of the Turkish baths mix deep turquoise tiling with the more prominent green accenting the walls throughout the building.  The designers went to great lengths to design grand features around seemingly mundane functions – such as the tap (above).  Victoria Baths has featured in the TV hit Life on Mars.  The instantly recognisable green-tiled staircase suggests it also served as the internals for the old Tomb Street Bath House, in the stylish yet ultra-violent film Resurrection Man, set in Belfast.

Images by Interval

Above can be seen the long empty womens’ pool, with the grand iron turnstyle at the entrance.  By comparison, the pool at the very top of this article is the first class gala/males pool, with spectators seating around the balcony.  One of many fundraising and arts events is in full swing, with bright images projected against the rear wall of the pool.  Thankfully the Friends of Victoria Baths have been campaigning the protect and restore the building since it closed in 1993.  And by the looks of it, they’re doing a fantastic job, given how quickly empty buildings often go to rack and ruin.  Check out these open days to find out when you and your camera can explore the baths.

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Image by Shoes on Wires

Mentioned briefly in the article 6 Abandonments and 22 Urbex Images, the West Lawn building of Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia, has been abandoned since 1983.  In this article we take a deeper-than-ever look beyond the solid brick walls and locked doors of this former insane asylum.

Images by ephotography

In 1904 the provincial government bought 1,000 acres of farmland in Coquitlam as the site for the new Riverview Hospital, built to ease overcrowding at the Royal Hospital in Victoria.  Patients were initially housed in temporary buildings – surely bitterly cold during the British Columbia winter!  West Lawn Pavillion opened in 1913 and began treating the 300 most seriously ill male patients.

Caged staircase (image by Shoes on Wires)

An adjacent farm used mainly patient labour, producing over 700 tons of crops and 20,000 gallons of milk each year.  A nursery, arboretum and botanical garden was also added due to their perceived theraputic value.  In 1924, the Centre Lawn building opened as the Acute Psychiatric Unit, while a 675-bed Female Chronic Unit (East Lawn) opened in 1930.  The wide open staircase (above) with cage-like bars is an interesting design feature.  In a purpose built mental hospital where people may be liable to jump, would it not make more sense to design narrow staircases that mitigate the potential of this happening?  Perhaps the elegant building design of the Edwardian era knew no bounds!

Images by Shoes on Wire

Over the next several decades new buildings continued to spring up.  But the oldest unit, West Lawn, remained in the treatment of British Columbia’s most psychotic patients.  Can it be any wonder that photographers and visitors describe a chilling and uneasy atmosphere lingering in West Lawn today?

Images by Shoes on Wires

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoes_on_wires/ / CC BY 2.0

While West Lawn wasn’t quite a Victorian-era asylum, with all the horror and hopelessness such a place would dole out.  But there’s little doubt that many of the so called “treatments” that occured here during the early years were antiquated and barbaric in the light of modern psychiatry.  When snapping the attick room photo above (bottom left), the photographer said there was something so unsettling about the place that they were unable to step over the threshold into the room.

Image by Greg Salter

(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

West Lawn closed in 1983 due to both cutbacks and medical advances meaning less people required full time mental health care.  The building above is the newer East Lawn, which closed in 2005.  It could be argued that Riverview Hospital is as strange today as it ever has been, with derelict asylum buildings punctuating a complex of existing mental heath facilities and new-built family homes.  Riverview was added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places in April 2009.

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Image by PinkMoose

The irony is all in the name!  The abandoned Joy Cinema in New Orleans is a sorry sight today.  And while their names may not pose such a paradox as “the Joy”, these eight old movie palaces look like their best years ended with the passing of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Ramova Theater, Chicago

Image by mdanys

Images by the toe stubber

The Ramova Theater on the south side of Chicago was built in 1929 by architect Meyer O. Nathan.  The auditorium was built to resemble a Spanish courtyard, while glittering stars on the ceiling heightened the enjoyable sense of escapism prior to each screening.  In 1940 Charlie Chaplin held the Chicago premiere of The Great Dictator at the Ramova, the highlight of its career.  The Ramova began to decline in the 1950s, ending its days screening Spanish language films following the Bridgeport neighborhood’s transition from a strong Irish to a Hispanic community.  The movie palace closed its doors in the 1980s and has been abandoned ever since, although in reasonable condition and very much restorable.

Olympic Theatre, Los Angeles

Image by laasB

The Olympic, formerly the Bard’s Eighth Street Theatre, opened in 1927 with a 600 seat capacity.  Remodelled several times during its tenure, it was renamed the Olympic in 1932 to commemorate Los Angeles hosting the games that year.  Featured in films such as The Omega Man (1971) starring Charlton Heston, the Olympic Theatre finally landed up playing Spanish language films and closed its doors in 1986.  The floor was levelled in 2004 and seats stripped out, though the organ screens and some ornate internal features remain intact.  Since the photo was taken, the facade has been restored and the Olympic has been reopened as a chandelier and French rococo furniture store.

Tower Theatre, Los Angeles

Images by laasB

On October 12, 1927, the Tower Theatre burst onto the movie palace scene with The Gingham Girl starring George Arthur and Lois Wilson.  While the theatre ceased to play films back in 1988 and has had its famous tower bizarrely shortened over the years, it nevertheless remains one of downtown Los Angeles’ last intact cinemas.  Serving as a nightclub, a church and a special events center since the film reels finally ground to a halt, the Tower Theatre reopened as a rock concert venue in 2008.  It now has its own website and with its original interior reasonably intact, it has claimed its place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Arcade Theatre, Los Angeles

Images by laasB

The Arcade Theatre opened in 1910 and was built to resemble an English music hall.  The ornate movie palace survived until 1992 before finally closing its doors to the cinema going audience.  Today the lobby is used as a retail space while the quiet auditorium serves as a storage facility piled high with boxes.  Happily though, the auditorium remains very much intact, with the old Arcade Theatre’’s music-hall features still in existence – a great potential renovation project for sure!

Palace Theatre, Los Angeles

Images by laasB

The Palace Theatre, built in 1911 is one of the longest running movie palaces in the United States.  Surviving as a cinema until 2000, the Palace Theatre is available today for a wide variety of special events and location filming.  The last film to feature the cinema was Dreamgirls (2006).  The pictures above show how well maintained the venue is, with deep red curtains still hanging above the lobby in the Ladies’ Lounge, where women would watch from the balcony for their escorts’ arrival.  The Palace Theatre was built in the style of a Renaissance Florentine palazzo, particularly Casino Municipale in Venice.

Image by laasB

The abandoned Roxie, Cameo and Arcade cinemas line a road in the former theatre district of downtown Los Angeles.  The only lighting on the dark street emanates from a solitary street lamp on a large billboard dominating the roof of the Cameo.  Once upon a time this area was thronged with theatre-goers enjoying the shows.  Today many of the buildings remain but the golden age of film has long since passed them by.

Regent Theatre, Los Angeles

Images by laasB

Once one of 20 small to medium sized theatres along South Main Street (two blocks from the larger Los Angeles theatres on Broadway (above), The Regent is one of the last remaining.  Despite starting out in the usual glittery Hollywood style, the theatre ended its days less salubriously as an adult movie house.  As of September 2008, it was reincarnated as a live performance venue.  The photograph above (right) shows the stripped out auditorium before the theatre was converted, hosting a meeting of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Historic Theatres Committee.

Starlite Music Theatre, Latham, New York

Images by albany tim

Once upon a time the Starlite Music Theatre drew stars from all across America. Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Cash and Diana Ross all graced the stage in what was fondly known as “the tent”.  Essentially a huge oval, green and yellow-striped canvas tent, the theatre – which went by many names over the years, including Colonie Coliseum, before being called the Starlite – seated an impressive 1,800 people around a central stage.  By 1969, the tent had been replaced by a more permanent building accomodating 3,000 seats.  Theatre productions began to wane soon after, giving way to Las Vegas concert acts in the 1970s before the Starlite fell on hard times.  The old theatre struggled on through the 1997 season but never opened its doors again the following year.   And now the big venue in the small hamlet lies derelict and abandoned.

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