# Your city's lost heritage: Buildings that should never have been demolished.



## Jack Daniel

Below are buildings that used to stand in Melbourne Australia. They were demolished to make way for more "modern" buildings.


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## the spliff fairy

omg this hurts the eyes 

I cant believe this is Australia:


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## RawLee

The national theatre at Blaha Lujza(who was a famous actress BTW)square:










and it was demolished for this:








To make place for the station. The story is even more sorrowful,if one knows that the theatre survived WWII almost intact,without major damages!










The new one built not long ago tries hard to make up for the loss,though its not really in the centre:


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## Iluminat

Warsaw


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## Mr Bricks

Helsinki

This building was replaced to make way for a post-war box designed by Aalto. The current building itself is not that bad, but given its location (righ in front of the Orthdox Cathedral) and what it reaplced I get angry everytime I see it.



Two buildings on Mannerheimintie in the city centre.





This building was replaced by "Makkaratalo", which is today an iconic (and protected) building. Not that it´s great.



These buildings were pulled down and reaplaced by "Ympyrätalo" which basically looks like post-modern version of the Coliseum. The whole area is filled with cheap 70s and 80s dross.


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## xlchris

Rotterdam: the whole city 

(After the cleanings, because of bombing WWII)


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## karma police

This thread is a really great idea, keep the pics coming!


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## Joshapd

Paleis voor Volksvlijt, Amsterdam








(source: www.nrc.nl)








(source: www.stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl)
current situation:








(source: www.amsterdamsebinnenstad.nl)


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## Rupmulalauk

Some lost ones in Kuala Lumpur:

Sultan's Palace (demolished in 1950 to make way for a new palace)









Bok House(demolished in 2006 to make way for the construction of a 60 storey building)


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## Homer J. Simpson

The Great Toronto fire destroyed most of the old city.






























Before









After


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## spongeg

Vancouver lost some great old buildings









source










this one was knocked down so a new one could be constructed










the "new" one


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## Manila-X

At least HK preserved the old Bank of China building.


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## hkskyline

Plenty of examples in Europe due to the 2 World Wars ... at least Dresden made an effort to rebuild, although I believe several other cities did the same as well.


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## Manila-X

Some HK landmarks that have been lost or its gonna be gone!
By H.L. Tam
http://www.pbase.com/hltam

The old Central Star Ferry Pier


















Queens Pier


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## Skybean

^^ Queen's Pier is not a building. And besides a handful of holdouts, there are not that many people who are concerned about the demolition of the pier.

*Hong Kong, China*





































Hong Kong Club









Although for some parts of the city... you really can't complain to much with what these buildings have been replaced with.


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## hkskyline

The recent demolitions in Hong Kong *pale* in comparison to what was lost in the late 70s and early 80s. For those of us who have interest in colonial heritage and a lukewarm awareness of HK history, these lost gems come into mind immediately :





































There is a whole thread full of this stuff here :
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=488856


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## Manila-X

My bad! Anyway, one thing I find interesting is my neighbourhood Wan Chai.

Back in the days it was mostly row-houses though I wasn't born that decade to experience it.


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## hkskyline

WANCH said:


> My bad! Anyway, one thing I find interesting is my neighbourhood Wan Chai.
> 
> Back in the days it was mostly row-houses though I wasn't born that decade to experience it.


A lot of the rowhouses are still there, including a few prominent ones such as Blue House (there are orange and red ones in that block). Wan Chai really hasn't seen that much redevelopments for a core district. They filled in the sea offshore to create land for many of the current skyscrapers instead.


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## isaidso

Here's just a small glimpse of what Toronto has lost. This stretch of road depicted in the first 2 photos is now home to the TD Centre, Scotia Plaza, and First Canadian Place.




















The Customs House (Yonge/Front Street): c.1876









The Board of Trade Building (2-8 Front Street East) c.1891. The smallest building in the middle is still there. I believe it's now the Hockey Hall of Fame. Everything else was demolished to build modern structures. The loss of the Board of Trade building on the right was particularly sad since the replacement is a hideous eye sore.









The Second Union Station c. 1875










The Dufferin Gate @ The CNE c. 1910










The Golden Lion (33-7 King East) c. 1873










Toronto Street. Almost everything in this pic has been lost.










The Toronto Union Block (32-40 Toronto Street) c. 1873










The Union Loan and Savings Company Building
(26-30 Toronto Street) c.1876










The General Post Office (36 Adelaide East) c.1873










The Bank of Nova Scotia (39 King West) c. 1902










The Bank of Toronto (King/Bay) c. 1913










The Temple Building (Richmond/Bay) c. 1895










The House of Providence (Power Street/Queen Street East) 
c. 1858










Trinity College (Queen Street West/Strachan) c. 1851










The Registry office (Modern day New City Hall) c. 1910










The Toronto Arcade (Yonge between Richmond/Adelaide)
c. 1884. This is another shocker when you realize what replaced it. I couldn't find an image, but it's an ugly 1960s box 5 floors high.



















Yorkville Town Hall (856 Yonge Street) c. 1860


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## the spliff fairy

argh

Rebuild rebuild rebuild!

Wasnt there a plan to restore the waterfront in HK?


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## Mr Bricks

Wow! Toronto and HK have changed completely!

Although still a true gem when it comes to old architecture, London has seen some unbelievable "redevelopment projects" in the 60s and 70s.

Euston Arch



London Bridge



The Imperial Institute



Columbia Market



Other buildings:









Gardiner´s Corner


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## Homer J. Simpson

So many phenomenal buildings destroyed. :no:

The change in Hong Kong is astounding.


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## hkskyline

the spliff fairy said:


> argh
> 
> Rebuild rebuild rebuild!
> 
> Wasnt there a plan to restore the waterfront in HK?


The waterfront was not demolished though. The shoreline has been pushed out and new parks will be built there. The old colonial-style buildings that were torn down were inland.


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## Andrew

The loss of those colonial buildings in Hong Kong are absolutely astounding!! It must have been the most beautiful of all the British colonies at that time. Those buildings equal any of the finest colonial architecture found in Singapore, Penang or Malacca, as well as the Bund in Shanghai. When you look at the architecture in the pictures and the dramatic forested mountainside behind... HK must have been absolutely beautiful! Don't get me wrong, HK is spectacular now, but beautiful skyscrapers can never make up for what was lost.

I mean... just look at them again!!





































And here are some more I found on Google:


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## isaidso

It's so sad what happened to so many beautiful buildings around the world. At least places like London have a good stock of theirs still standing. In Canada, so much was destroyed, that our cities are unrecognizable compared to even 50 years ago.

There are reminders all over downtown Toronto of how grand the city once looked. Thankfully, we still have those. Perhaps, the stars will align one day, and some of these old beauties will be rebuilt close to their original locations.

Hong Kong? hno:

Everything in this pic below is gone accept Old City Hall and the tiny 4 storey building on the corner. The series of red brick buildings were all part of the Eaton's department store. The Eaton's factories and the store itself were demolished to build the Eaton Centre. The second pic is of the old Toronto Star building. It and a massive old bank tower were demolished to build First Canadian Place.



















http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...tore.jpg/800px-Eatonstoronto1920MainStore.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NtgXlrcvX...+-+TORONTO+-+TORONTO+STAR+BUILDING+-+NICE.jpg


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## Andrew

Brace yourself for this... Old Tokyo!


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## pencialcase

There is a thread dedicated to images of lost or destroyed buildings in London- http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=442332


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## the spliff fairy

wow old Edo was the biggest city in the world, such a loss


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## *****

OMG the HK is now ugly.Scary...


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## AGC

similar as in Warsaw - destroyed during WW2 and after.
Here you have interactive map with 3 layers from following years: 1935, 1945, 2005
Website is unfortunately only in Polish.
In order to activate map, you have to install map viewier application:
http://download.autodesk.com/esd/mapguide/SP1/ENG/MgControl6.5SP1.exe (for IE)
or
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/MGPlugin65.exe (for Firefox/Opera)
After the map viewer is installed, you can access the map on:
http://mapa1945.um.warszawa.pl/init.html


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## PedroGabriel

xlchrisij said:


> Rotterdam: the whole city
> 
> (After the cleanings, because of bombing WWII)


aw that's so sad, considering that unlike new world cities, despite their former beauty (that Australia pic is just wonderfull with its neo-classic architecture), Rotterdam wasnt surelly just façades.

in my city many things where lost.

the former principal church, buit in the years 1000s, it was demolished in 1910 because it was in really bad shape. hno: it changed over time, but kept a serpent in the front of the door, clearly showing it was a medieval romanesque building. Some stuff where saved and are kept in Povoa's etnic Museum. others where lost, it had the local runic-like writing system, that could help trace the local community origins. 









other lost church was Madre Deus Church (16th century - 19thcentury sad!), Sao Jose Church (19th century, nothing relevant), several 19th century buildings.

architecture style that i love:
The former fisher and farmers market and most of its surroundings.








this is the saddest story in town!

we keep two towers (these were four, city hall plans to rebuild the other two







where the current fisher and farmer market is located, so the city will demolish that crap.
one tower is the tourism post and the other a café and decoration stuff.

our former and best 19th century casino, the city had several but this was the best known.








many things around are kept, so you can guess the place.


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## Avolar Alto

Almost of the buildings constructed for the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893, for which Chicago received the name of Paris on the prairie, commemorating the discovery by Columbus of America 400 years ago.























































































The survidors

Golden Lady – the statue of Columbia








now









Museum of Science And Industry
then








now









I think what is now the Field Museum was part of fair as well, not sure though..


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## isaidso

Looking at the Golden Lady, one would never suspect its former surroundings. The World's Columbian Exposition is in reference to what? Is that in reference to people in the United States acknowledging the word Columbian, in reference to themselves? I'm aware that this name was the one first desired only to see that name taken by another country on the American continent?


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## Tubeman

Aside from the Euston Arch SuomiPoika posted (and the rest of the old station, including ther great hall) I don't really miss too much of 'Old' London taking into consideration most losses, like The Crystal Palace (below) were completely destroyed by fire or war and just simply couldn't be rebuilt.




























My main other regret aside from the old Euston station are the 'Skylon' and 'Dome of Discovery' from the 1951 'Festival of Britain' on the South Bank:


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## *****

Tubeman ,whay crrystal palace can not be rebuilt?


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## PedroGabriel

chicago would be more famous if it kept that like it was.


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## Looking/Up

Wow! Those buildings of Chicago are shocking! I had no idea anythign like that was ever built there. It's a terrible shame it's not still like that...


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## the spliff fairy

theres quite a discrepancy in size?


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## Tubeman

***** said:


> Tubeman ,whay crrystal palace can not be rebuilt?


It was completely destroyed beyond any sort of repair by fire in the 1930's, considering the Second World war and then Austerity followed there was no financial opportunity to immediately rebuild it. Its location might have played a part: it was originally erected in Hyde Park and then dismantled and transferred to Norwood, South London (or Crystal Palace, as this area of Norwood is now known)... I have a feeling if it were still a central London landmark at the time of its destruction it may well have been rebuilt... But it also used oudated Victorian construction techniques and I'm sure all that iron and glass made the prospect of re-building prohibitively expensive.


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## _00_deathscar

The old Hong Kong Club building was truly stunning, however, it hasn't been replaced by the worst looking thing in the world. Would have been nice to have both existing side by side - as is the case with Bank of China.

Other institutions (although not necessarily old) include the Furama Hotel (torn down to make way for Cheung Kong Centre) and currently being torn down - the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong.


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## icebergsyndrome

isaidso said:


> Looking at the Golden Lady, one would never suspect its former surroundings. The World's Columbian Exposition is in reference to what? Is that in reference to people in the United States acknowledging the word Columbian, in reference to themselves? I'm aware that this name was the one first desired only to see that name taken by another country on the American continent?


Columbian was in reference to Christopher Columbus "discovering" the "New World" 400 years prior. 
Well, they were a year late in celebrating.

More importantly, most of those buildings were NOT meant to last. Many burned down in a fire in 1894.


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## Avian001

Looking/Up said:


> Wow! Those buildings of Chicago are shocking! I had no idea anythign like that was ever built there. It's a terrible shame it's not still like that...


As noted in the previous post, the Columbia Exposition buildings were temporary, built cheaply of stucco and almost purely for decoration. It's interesting that one of America's greatest architects, Louis Sullivan, said that the exposition set modern American architecture back by 40 years.


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## OakRidge

Avian001 said:


> As noted in the previous post, the Columbia Exposition buildings were temporary, built cheaply of stucco and almost purely for decoration. It's interesting that one of America's greatest architects, Louis Sullivan, said that the exposition set modern American architecture back by 40 years.


I like Louis Sullivan but some of those temporary buildings were quite impressive.


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## Skybean

Another before and after in Hong Kong.



















source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/old-hk/


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## MikaGe

Wow...what a loss! But yah, it's HK...


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## OakRidge

MikaGe said:


> Wow...what a loss! But yah, it's HK...


That is no excuse.


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## Amrafel

Neologians synagogue demolished during communist era...now is there a 4 lanes road to New bridge


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## hkskyline

OakRidge said:


> That is no excuse.


Unfortunately, the British colonial government's objectives were not in preserving old buildings. They wanted to make money out of Hong Kong, and money they got when they demolished these buildings and sold the land for highrise developments.

Ironically, it seems that nowadays with a Chinese government in place, preserving colonial history is really starting to take off.


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## jcarloschile

Lost Santiago


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## Grollo

More Melbourne:


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## Jaborandi

After seeing Melbourne's lost heritage, I suddenly don't feel quite so bad about what Toronto destroyed. Mel had some really amazing buildings (and still does) and the cavalier civic attitude was criminal.


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## earthJoker

Tonhalle Zürich:




































Replaced by:








:bash:


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## Tubeman

Ugh God this thread is so depressing

Maybe we need a 'crap buildings replaced by good ones' thread?


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## *****

http://www.nuestro.cl/chilectra/imagenes/fotos1_grande12.jpg

http://www.nuestro.cl/chilectra/imagenes/fotos1_grande4.jpg

http://www.thecollectormm.com.au/gallery/postcards/Edwardian/slides/Collins4.jpg

Zurich

OMG ,they are realy crazy.Destroy old taht nice old buildings...


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## erbse

earthJoker said:


> Tonhalle Zürich


D'oh. That could've been the main landmark for Zürich that it lacks today. Seriously.

Sad ad infinitum.


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## *****

Rijeka is the city in Croatia.This was a first Rijeka synagogue demolished by german army in ww2
http://www.makabijada.com/dopis/gradovi/Img00002.JPG
Inside
http://www.makabijada.com/dopis/gradovi/inter.jpg


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## Besos

Tubeman said:


> Ugh God this thread is so depressing
> 
> Maybe we need a 'crap buildings replaced by good ones' thread?


agree


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## earthJoker

erbsenzaehler said:


> D'oh. That could've been the main landmark for Zürich that it lacks today. Seriously.
> 
> Sad ad infinitum.


We should rebuild it, the interiors (concert halls) are still there.


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## wolfpaw

Deleted.


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## steppenwolf

wow those melbourne ones are mind blowing. those lost buildings - especially the coffee palace - look like some sort of mutated monster of neo gothicism. Really mind blowingly extravagant to look at,l and would be amazing to see with our modern eyes, but I can see why the modernists of the 50s and 60s saw that sort of thing as insane and monstrous.


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## steppenwolf

and knowing exeter, the pictures here are heartbreaking. On one hand modernisation wanted to create buildings with more integrity, and on the other hand moderist town plannign wanted to erase the history of places to cerate a fitting settign for moderist architecture. So sad, that the two couldnt coexist and one philosophy felt it needed to erase the other in order to succeed. We will make these mistakes over and over again, until people understand history better, but every generation learns less and less about the past.


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## Mr Bricks

Those responsible for this mindless destruction should be shot.


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## the spliff fairy

This Melbourne gem is one of the most impressive buildings Ive ever seen 

It completely surpasses the age old problem of the neoclassicists -they would have an impressive fluorish for the top and base, but be stumped as to what to put in the middle other than the usual repetition of windows:


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## aastra

Victoria, Canada:
(note: there are efforts afoot to get some of the "after" buildings designated as heritage!)

*BEFORE:*









*AFTER:*









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Picture by rayvensmoon at flickr.com

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Picture from http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/Architecture/ma/design_story/buildings/town/

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*AFTER: (it's just a partial replica, but I'll take a replica in a heartbeat if the alternative is yet another bunker)*








Picture by mattsimpson.name at flickr.com

***

*This one is very small but I include it because it was replaced by a parking lot that remains to this day:*










***

*This one was lost in a fire:*


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## D-Mac

Some buildings in *Montreal *that are now gone:

Windsor Hotel, destroyed in a fire









Replaced by this:









Old University of Montreal building










St. Andrew's church 










Royal Insurance Company Building 










Post office (what a shame...)










Normal Superieur Jacques Cartier School 




















































Victoria Opera House











Villa Maria chapel, Maison mère Congrégation Notre-Dame (This one I really can't believe!)


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## city_thing

Jaborandi said:


> After seeing Melbourne's lost heritage, I suddenly don't feel quite so bad about what Toronto destroyed. Mel had some really amazing buildings (and still does) and the cavalier civic attitude was criminal.


I remember reading a book about the British Empire during the Victorian era and apparently Toronto and Melbourne were considered 'jewels in the crown' of the empire due to their Victorian grandeur and importance (at this stage I think Melbourne was the capital of Australia). They were little satellites of Mother England on the other side of the world.

How did Toronto grow to such importance anyway? Melbourne was thrust into its glory days by the gold rush - was there some similar export that caused Toronto to boom and construct amazing Victorian buildings? Wasn't the sugar from maple syrup a huge commodity for Canada?

My ignorance about Canadian history is really starting to show....


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## BoulderGrad

*Seattle*

*Hotel Seattle (Pioneer Square):
*









Was replaced with the sinking ship garage (kindof a metaphor for Seattle in the 70's when it was built):








(From Flickr)



*Denny Reagrade*

Downtown Seattle used to be bordered to the North by Denny Hill. But during a time of numerous regrading projects, the city decided the hill was in the way of... something....

(picture from Vintage Seattle: http://www.vintageseattle.org/)











And what the hill looked like in process: (The mounds are the property of people who refused to sell, so they just washed the hill away around them.)

(from Seattle times)









(from DJC)










One casualty of the regrade was the Washington Hotel that used to sit on the very top of the hill

From Vintage Seattle again


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## Looking/Up

city_thing said:


> How did Toronto grow to such importance anyway? Melbourne was thrust into its glory days by the gold rush - was there some similar export that caused Toronto to boom and construct amazing Victorian buildings? Wasn't the sugar from maple syrup a huge commodity for Canada?
> 
> My ignorance about Canadian history is really starting to show....


The growth of Toronto from a village of a few hundred to such an important city in the British Empire wasn't due to one or two commodities. Toronto had no gold rush (though the Yukon did), and maple syrup was of more importance to cities like Montreal than it was to Toronto. If you are interested, the city of Toronto has a wonderful history of the city divided up in time periods. The link is: http://www.toronto.ca/culture/history/credits.htm


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## Augusto

In Paris, the Trocadero palace was facing the Eiffel tower, right across the river: (from www.linternaute.com)


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## Gamma-Hamster

*Sukharev Tower, Moscow. Built in 1695, demolished in 1927.*


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## Skybean

More of *Hong Kong, China.
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## Mollywood

I can't believe Melbourne tore down all those wonderful buildings. It's a shame.


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## _00_deathscar

Central, Hong Kong










http://flickr.com/photos/eatsee_9/2376470566/


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## dubart

Zadar, Croatia - Buildings lost in WW2


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## valdano7007

*Guadalajara, Mexico*

These buildings, once located in Guadalajara, Mexico, among many others, were lost mainly in the 1950's and 1960's due to the "modernization" of the country. Most were torn down to make way for larger avenues and hideous international style office buildings. 

Some of the most sumptuous private homes of the city were destroyed. Luckily, some of those located on smaller streets survived.


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## Jim856796

I have a building in Minneapolis that shouldn't have passed: The Northwestern National Bank Building. It was severely damaged by fire on Thanksgiving Day 1982 and was imploded on March 11, 1984. The Wells Fargo Building currently stands on the site.


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## the spliff fairy

...


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## the spliff fairy

Old St Paul's, one of the largest cathedrals ever built, 525ft, destroyed Great Fire of London 1666

















www.wilsonsalmanac.com, www.explore-stpauls.net


Nonsuch Palace 1542 - built so that nonsuch building could be ever built again, burnt down by demolition 1683 to repay gambling debts









http://tudorhistory.org


Palace of Whitehall 1530, the largest palace ever in UK with 1,500 rooms and the largest building in the West, burnt down 1698


www.oldlondonmaps.com








www.old-london.co.uk
















Richmond Palace 1497, it took 10 years to demolish after the execution of Charles II in 1649









www.wikimedia.org









http://tudorhistory.org

Old London Bridge, one of the world's greatest medieval structures, 1136 - 1825 demolished

www.imageshack.us, ww.wikipedia.org


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## the spliff fairy

I could explode with the idiocy of developers in London over the years. It really would be too painful to show what has replaced these buildings - you can imagine the concrete brutalism of that era; What the war didn't destroy the developers did:


London White City, built for the Franco-British Exposition

www.oldukphotos.com









































Crystal Palace built for the 1851 Great Exhibition and attracted 6 million visitors, some of whom walked from 300 miles away to see the fruits of the British Empire. It was the first great cast iron, mass produced building of its size, 1851 ft long but grew in size when dismantled and rebuilt in Sydenham. It was destroyed by fire in the 1930s.


For a sense of scale the water towers at either end were 300ft tall. The worlds largest fountains were displayed in the front, with jets 250ft high.


























*
All following pics from Lost London by Hermione Hobhouse, and www.imageshack.us*


Imperial Institute (the clocktower remains)










St Thomas's Hospital, destroyed WWII



























Columbia Market, demolished 1966




















Imperial Hotel, demolished 1966










Carlton Hotel demolished 1958 (one dome remains)











YMCA, destroyed WWII









Cannon St Hotel










Cannon St Station - the vast wrought iron roof was moved to a countryside field for protection - only for it to be randomly destroyed by a bomber offloading



















The Coal Exchange, demolished 1960s


























Winchester House










Royal Horticultural Society Gardens



















Euston Arch and Great Hall, demolished 1963 for 'vital' platform lengthening that never materialised. The building was was thrown as lining into a local canal.


























International Exhibition Building 1862, demolished 1864 - these were the largest domes ever built:










Oxford Street Pantheon
























Junior Carlton Hotel










Royal Doulton










London Bridge - sold and moved to Havasu City, Arizona



















Metropolitan Fire Brigade











The old City Gates


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## Federicoft

Contrary to the common belief Rome has lost many important and cherished buildings over the centuries.

Old central station


The "Roma pier"








Spina di Borgo, the old medieval district near St Peter's




This has to be the most painful one though, the Porto di Ripetta, a sort of Spanish Steps on the Tiber. 
It was demolished in the 1860s to make room for the current embankments.








Many more on this thread
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=306185


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## bustero

ooooh , this is a sad thread


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## Mr Bricks

Some of the buildings demolished in Helsinki during the post-war era.

Demolished in the 60s and replaced by a white box by Aalto.


This building was not demolished, but it looks much duller today.


Hundreds of old wooden buildings which dominated parts of the city were pulled down.


Although this was demolished in the 60s, it lasted 40 years until anything new got built on the site. The new building is quite cool, but this was still a huge loss.


This was demolished in the 60s to make way for the famous "makkaratalo".


Near the Art Museum. Fortunately the grand museum still stands today, and it´s architectural style is quite similar to the building that got demolished.


On Yliopistonkatu (University Street).


Alexanterinkatu (Alexander Street). None of the four buildings in this junction exist today.


Another building on Alexanterinkatu.


This building was demolished in the 60s. The facade facing the south was rebuilt though. The east side wasn´t.


The southern end of Mannerheimintie (Mannerheim Street). This row of old buildings has been totally mutilated by post-war planners. A more recent pic can be seen in the upper left corner.


Mannerheimintie again. This building stood in the centre of the street opposit the Stockmann department store.


Bulevardi (The Boulevard). This amazing building was damaged during WW2, and demolsihed soon after.


Other lost buildings:


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## Iluminat

> Hundreds of old wooden buildings which dominated parts of the city were pulled down.


Is that a bad thing?


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## RawLee

Some more from Budapest:

Erzsébet bridge:it was so damaged in the war that it was deemed necessary to build a new,using its usable parts for the repair of other bridges

















(both from Wikipedia)

And if you compare the buildings on the other side of the river,you will see how many old buildings have gone forever...now extrapolate this to the entire city...


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## city_thing

^^ what a bridge to lose! The previous one was beautiful, and the modern one is just... sufficient. Which country bombed it?

Helsinki looks like it had some amazing buildings. I can't believe how beautiful some buildings were - it should be a crime to destroy such amazing things.


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## Mr Bricks

Iluminat said:


> Is that a bad thing?


Well yes. Those buildings were part of old Helsinki. Some of them still stand today and they are very beatiful and quaint.


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## drunkenmunkey888

Federicoft said:


> Contrary to the common belief Rome has lost many important and cherished buildings over the centuries.


Yeah but the new buildings that replaced the old ones are at least consistent with the general style of the city. At least they didn't replace them with boxy glass office buildings like in Hong Kong


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## RawLee

city_thing said:


> ^^ what a bridge to lose! The previous one was beautiful, and the modern one is just... sufficient. Which country bombed it?
> 
> Helsinki looks like it had some amazing buildings. I can't believe how beautiful some buildings were - it should be a crime to destroy such amazing things.


The Wehrmacht blew it up to "stop" the soviet advance. Only the railway bridges were destroyed by the allies,the other bridges somehow survived until the siege.


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## Ribarca

hkskyline said:


> There is a whole thread full of this stuff here :
> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=488856


Some of the books from Peter Moss on old Hong Kong are amazing. So many great buildings lost:bash:.


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## dars-dm

Moscow
Voentorg. Built in 1913. Demolished in 2003 in the process of "reconstruction". Rebuilt in 2007 very badly.

















inside









new Voentorg


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## artursiwy91

Silesian Museum in Katowice i Upper Silesia. This building destroyed Deutch army in 1940, one year after finish building it by Silesian. It was very modern museum designed by Karol Schayer.


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## isaidso

city_thing said:


> I remember reading a book about the British Empire during the Victorian era and apparently Toronto and Melbourne were considered 'jewels in the crown' of the empire due to their Victorian grandeur and importance (at this stage I think Melbourne was the capital of Australia). They were little satellites of Mother England on the other side of the world.
> 
> How did Toronto grow to such importance anyway? Melbourne was thrust into its glory days by the gold rush - was there some similar export that caused Toronto to boom and construct amazing Victorian buildings? Wasn't the sugar from maple syrup a huge commodity for Canada?
> 
> My ignorance about Canadian history is really starting to show....


A very late response to your question, but the catalyst was the American Revolution. United Empire Loyalist flooded into the remaining colonies in America loyal to Britain, or what we know as Canada today. Many people loyal to Britain or uncomfortable in the US resettled in Upper Canada (Ontario) after the United States gained independence. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were the other significant resettlement areas. Toronto became the most important city in Upper Canada and has never looked back.

About 200 years later around 1980, Toronto finally surpassed Montreal to become Canada's principal city. Political problems in Montreal led to a flight of anglophone people and business to Toronto. Montreal has only now recovered from this, but seems to have permanently ceded its dominant position to Toronto.

Throughout most of Canada's history, Montreal was Canada's metropolis not Toronto. Toronto has always been an important city, but its rise to the top has been very recent. If you visit old Montreal, the evidence is everywhere. It's often stated that at one point in time, the powerful families of Montreal's Golden Square Mile controlled one-sixth of north America. Never substantiated, but some pegged their dominance of the Canadian economy upwards of 70%. A staggering concentration of wealth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Square_Mile


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## Skybean

Hong Kong

中環 - 德輔道中、雪廠街 交界 1949









中環 - 皇后大道中、雪廠街 交界









source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/old-hk/sets/72157608410017743/


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## Deanb

The Herzliya Hebrew High School was a historic school in Tel Aviv, founded in 1905 and located on Herzl St.




In 1962, it was decided that this landmark should be demolished so that it would be possible to build a new, modern skyscraper, known as Shalom Meir Tower



well, what do you think they should have done back then? hno:


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## Looking/Up

*Ontario's Fourth Government House: Chorley Park*









http://torontoist.com/attachments/toronto_jamieb/2008_08_09chorley1.jpg









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chorley_Park_circa_1930.jpg









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chorley_Park_from_the_air_circa_1930.jpg

It was a stupid mistake to tear this beauty down...

More Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmsley_House


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## Hebrewtext

*from Tel Aviv*


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## luci203

*Singer Building*

Former WTB










demolished to be replaced by this... :bash:


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## Animo

*Jai Alai de Manila*






































*Jai Alai Building*

* *Location*: Taft Avenue, Manila
* *Completed*: 1940
* *Architect*: Welton Becket, a friend of Hollywood celebrities and designer of the homes of such screen legends as James Cagney and Cesar Romero, as well as of Los Angeles airport
* *Style*: Art Deco
* *Design*: The Jai Alai’s sleek, cylindrical glass front was said to evoke the velocity of the game, in which pelotaris use curved scoops to hurl a rubber ball at speeds of up to 200 km an hour against three walls of a court
* *Significance*: Among the jewels of that period was Taft Avenue, a mini-Champs Elysee, with grand homes, sparkling movie houses, colleges and spectacular Art Deco buildings. One of the finest buildings was the Jai Alai stadium, opened in 1940 as a home for the Basque game of the same name and quickly adopted as a playground by the rich and glamorous.
* *Status*: Demolition began on July 15, 2000 on the orders of Mayor Lito Atienza


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## Dahlis

The Sager houses in Stockholm:










Where replaced by this:


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## OshHisham

Ribarca said:


> Some of the books from *Peter Moss* on old Hong Kong are amazing. So many great buildings lost:bash:.


hehe. i bought his book as a souvenir from HK. 

yeah, HK is a manifestation of nations' history lost due to massive development. hope that other cities in the world will not become HK. seriously, HK past architecture was marvelous!!


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## williampitt

Lost just in the last 12 months in Melbourne ...

an absolute demolition rampage

current state government constantly overruling heritage laws in an effort to shake off the city's "old" image

No consultation no notice - nothing. Just bulldozers and rubble

Former Eastern Arcade (1896) - was National Trust listed

























St George's Theatre (1891) - Maribrynong Heritage Listed 









Telegraph Office (1904) - was on City of Melbourne's heritage list

















Robertson & Moffat Store (1888) - was on the City of Melbourne's heritage list









Now possibly Lonsdale House (1934) - was on City of Melbourne's heritage list:
The official excuse - no kidding - "To widen a delivery lane for trucks" :nuts:


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## Mr Bricks

^That´s very sad.


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## LoveCPH

I've actually read that the situation in Moscow is bad.
Many buildings that was/are worthy of preservation are miss-kept and overshadowed by gigantic building projects and corruption.
Only the churches are well.


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## nebunul

Mr Bricks said:


> The Imperial Institute


At least they've kept one tower :nuts:


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## nebunul

*Bucharest, Romania*



Sbz2ifc said:


> ^^ This building was called the Nation Bank (Banca Natiunii) and it was designed by Otto Maugsch
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ^^ This building is on the other side of BCU, closer to the Athenaeum. It is (was) the Commercial Academy. *They are somewhat similar though.*
> 
> *Both buildings *(and some other ones as well) were demolished to make way for the boulevard and to open up the square in front of the Royal Palace.



More here http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=467106


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## Suburban101

Also in Bucharest, a whole neighborhood was erased off the grid to make way for this:











Nothing remains.


Well.. at least they saved this church by moving it down the hill :


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## TugaMtl

Lisbon before it was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake/tsunami and fire

This hospital was destroyed






















































*After*



















Before over after












Eighty-five percent of Lisbon's buildings were destroyed, including famous palaces and libraries, as well as most examples of Portugal's distinctive 16th-century Manueline architecture. Several buildings that had suffered little earthquake damage were destroyed by the subsequent fire. The new Opera House, opened just six months before (named the Phoenix Opera), burned to the ground. The Royal Ribeira Palace, which stood just beside the Tagus river in the modern square of Terreiro do Paço, was destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. Inside, the 70,000-volume royal library as well as hundreds of works of art, including paintings by Titian, Rubens, and Correggio, were lost. The royal archives disappeared together with detailed historical records of explorations by Vasco da Gama and other early navigators. The earthquake also damaged major churches in Lisbon, namely the Lisbon Cathedral, the Basilicas of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, São Vicente de Fora, and the Misericordia Church. The Royal Hospital of All Saints (the largest public hospital at the time) in the Rossio square was consumed by fire and hundreds of patients burned to death. The tomb of national hero Nuno Álvares Pereira was also lost. Visitors to Lisbon may still walk the ruins of the Carmo Convent, which were preserved to remind Lisboners of the destruction.

Makes me sad hno:


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## tq

*Hanoi, Vietnam*

Le Grand Palais de l'Exposition


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## the spliff fairy

Lisbon was one of the great losses of history


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## dark_shadow1

Gymnasia Herzlia, Tel Aviv:









Was demolished in order to build this monster:


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## No1_Saint

*Mormon buildings demolised in Utah.*

There was a strong push in the 50's to the 70's in the Mormon Church's Physical facilities departement to demolish older and inadequete church buildings to make way for more Modern facilities in line with modern worship needs. 

This trend was halted by two senior Mormon officials who were horrified when Mormon pioneer heritage buildings from the mid to late 1800's were earmarked for demolition.

Unfortunately the below were not saved.


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## Tubeman

williampitt said:


> Lost just in the last 12 months in Melbourne ...
> 
> an absolute demolition rampage


How awful! Especially Lonsdale House; a great example of Art Deco


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## Taller Better

We don't have a lot of Georgian buildings left in Toronto, and I watched helplessly as this 1830's "Walnut Hall" slowly crumbled and eventually collapsed one weekend, from sheer neglect. I know it doesn't look like much to people from old cities with plenty of historical architecture, but it was part of our past. I keep a small fragment of a broken brick from this old building beside my desk as a memory:


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## williampitt

Taller said:


> We don't have a lot of Georgian buildings left in Toronto, and I watched helplessly as this 1830's "Walnut Hall" slowly crumbled and eventually collapsed one weekend, from sheer neglect. I know it doesn't look like much to people from old cities with plenty of historical architecture, but it was part of our past. I keep a small fragment of a broken brick from this old building beside my desk as a memory:


I feel your pain.

We have literally about 3 Georgian buildings left in Melbourne. Not that there were many to start with though.

Nice dormer windows and subtle quoining. I like the light wells at the basement level. These are a little like the old terrace houses you find in the Rocks in Sydney but the one in your photo is much taller than anything we have in Australia. 

Would have made a great apartment conversion. Very sad.


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## schum-ho

Amazing examples people! Some really sad losses.

It's depressing to see how some countries/cities/people treat their historical architecture 

I'm glad it's better here in Europe (especially Germany) though, as we have a lot more (and a lot more historically important) old buildings.


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## aleochi

*Rio de Janeiro, Brazil*

Rio was the Brazil's capital city when the eclectic and neo-classic's styles were in vogue. So, the city has the largest architectural heritage in the country. But during the 60's we lost LOTS of beautiful buildings. The eclectic style was considered "non-Brazilian'' and fake by the government, that allowed the destruction of old buildings for the construction of Brazil's modernist architecture, such as Oscar Niemeyer, Lucio Costa and etc. The peak of this movement was the creation of a new capital, Brasilia, all designed by modernists.

So, here's some pictures of the old Rio de Janeiro, that was considered by some "The Tropical Paris":

An aerial of the old downtown's buildings. These 2 yellow lines represent the Presidente Vargas Avenue, that would be constructed in the early 40's, destroying 8 churches and 10 blocks: 









Presidente Vargas Avenue in 1944:









The ''great wall'' of modernist buildings complete, in the 60's









Nowadays:









The Candelária's Church was the only construction that survived the massacre:









São Pedro dos Clérigos Church...









... and it's actual location:









-------
Now, the old Central Avenue (now Rio Branco Avenue):
This was the main Rio's avenue. All the importants consulates and banks had theirs GQ there. As usual, it was destroyed, only 10 buildings survived (such as the National's Library, the Municipal Theatre, The Beaux-arts museum...)




























1912






















































This is a panorama from 1890's, before the Central Avenue's opening (early 1900's)


















Nowadays:









the actual canyon












































-----

Flamengo:
Here's a very interesting picture of the old Flamengo's waterfront, before the landfill:



















Nowadays:

















----

Ipanema:










Nowadays:


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## Mr Bricks

nebunul said:


> At least they've kept one tower


Someone should rebuild it.


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## the spliff fairy

wow Rio was a real stunner


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## williampitt

aleochi said:


> *Rio de Janeiro, Brazil*
> 
> Rio was the Brazil's capital city when the eclectic and neo-classic's styles were in vogue. So, the city has the largest architectural heritage in the country. But during the 60's we lost LOTS of beautiful buildings. The eclectic style was considered "non-Brazilian'' and fake by the government, that allowed the destruction of old buildings for the construction of Brazil's modernist architecture, such as Oscar Niemeyer, Lucio Costa and etc. The peak of this movement was the creation of a new capital, Brasilia, all designed by modernists.


criminal.

I love eclectic architecture. The baroque style buildings in this photo are incredibly unique and amazing.

the image is heavenly.


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## TugaMtl

Damn those Rio pictures really pissed me off.


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## marvinganalon

*for me*

of course the walled city within a city of manila the intramuros, it is such a wonderful city that you cant enter in unless you enter in manila its buildings mostly churches and europe like buildings had been vanished since WWII how sad.


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## eljusticiero67

*Boston's slow self-destruction*

this is a good website showing how Boston has changed for the worse in the recent decades: http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10814

also, this is outrageous...
the following building: 

















is going to be replaced with the following plan:









the paperwork and demolition orders have gone through, and all we can do is watch as this landmark of boston is going to be destroyed. boston NEVER learns its lessons.


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## AAL

Athens was, in the early 20th century, a purely neoclassical city. It passed through a brief stage of eclecticism in the 1920's and adopted modernism in the 1930's in a very daring way, probably more daring than most European capitals at the time, with interesting modernist office buildings, schools, apartments etc. But this, eventually, led to the massive loss of heritage buildings, as, after a halt in the 1940's, the rebuilding fever took off in earnest in the 1950's. Up until 1960-1965, at least nice modern buildings were replacing the old ones...but post-1965 they were more and more boring, more and more mass-produced. The laws preserving architectural heritage came way too late, in the 1970s. As a result, this most ancient city is made up by 80% postwar buildings...:bash::bash::bash:

Some lost gems:
The old municipal theatre (demolished 1939)









Old mansions..



























A hotel...









Omonoia Square in 1905...out of the buildings in the photo, only the building to right exists today...and none of the trees...









Another side of Omonoia, then and now...:bash:

















Syntagma Square...that's in a better shape, but still with many losses. The second building on the left side exists, and so does the big 1920s-1930s department store in the corner far back. Everything else is gone...










The old Olympia Theatre

















River Ilissos in front of the Stadium (which is outside the photo to the right) . The rotunda was demolished as early as 1915, and the river Ilissos is now flowing underground, as a wide avenue replaced it in the mid-20th century...hno:









Half (yes, half!!!:bash of this is gone! The best half - the one near the corner. The rest, to the left, still exists...











And, to REALLY ruin your day...hotel Aktaion by the sea...


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## williampitt

eljusticiero67 said:


> this is a good website showing how Boston has changed for the worse in the recent decades: http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10814
> 
> also, this is outrageous...
> the following building:
> 
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> the paperwork and demolition orders have gone through, and all we can do is watch as this landmark of boston is going to be destroyed. boston NEVER learns its lessons.


man that SUCKS :wallbash:

what stone is it made of. I especially love the oxidised copper cornice.

that building could be easily adaptively reused as apartments and they'd make great apartments with character too.

what I especially hate is when the taller old buildlings are made cannon fodder and the shorter ones left behind. It removes a layer of built up history and leaves the impression that part of the city was nothing but a bunch of two storey buildings..

I also hate how smaller towns can manage to keep everything but the bigger cities like Boston have a disgusting "these buildings are a dime a dozen" 

Planners have to realise that architecture is more often unique and irreplaceable.


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## eljusticiero67

williampitt said:


> man that SUCKS :wallbash:
> 
> what stone is it made of. I especially love the oxidised copper cornice.
> 
> that building could be easily adaptively reused as apartments and they'd make great apartments with character too.
> 
> what I especially hate is when the taller old buildlings are made cannon fodder and the shorter ones left behind. It removes a layer of built up history and leaves the impression that part of the city was nothing but a bunch of two storey buildings..
> 
> I also hate how smaller towns can manage to keep everything but the bigger cities like Boston have a disgusting "these buildings are a dime a dozen"
> 
> Planners have to realise that architecture is more often unique and irreplaceable.


yes it sucks. up till now it still exists, but a several petitions and a date in court wasn't able to block the moronic owner Ronald Druker from submitting his orders for demolition.
it makes me want to leave boston.
morons. every. single. one of them.


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## williampitt

eljusticiero67 said:


> yes it sucks. up till now it still exists, but a several petitions and a date in court wasn't able to block the moronic owner Ronald Druker from submitting his orders for demolition.
> it makes me want to leave boston.
> morons. every. single. one of them.


Where's the petition - I would have signed it. Its a pretty ordinary looking replacement for such a fine building.

"local significance" and "community" used to mean something. in a globalised world it means virtually nothing.

I'm leaving Melbourne next year for the same sorts of reasons. I've put up with half a decade of it gradually losing of its vibrancy and character and watched it become really corporatised and boring. I've always admired Boston and I would have thought cities like Boston and Melbourne would know better than to vandalise their histories like this. In Melbourne, we're just always trying to play catch up with Sydney. I'm guessing Boston is probably doing the same with New York. In the end, they are just selling their souls in the process.


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## Þróndeimr

I live in a small village, so not much to mention, since older buildings survive development her (not much of development going on!), but some have been lost in fire/natural disasters.

However, in 1897 they had to sell this church due to poverty. (it had some very unique pieces of artworks and pieces of a old stave church standing on the site before this church was built in the 1650s.


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## Þróndeimr

I may also mention this stave church in Bergen, Norway, built in 1150. It was burned to the ground in 1992 by arson.

Photochrom from 1890.


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## jpsolarized

can you believe this was in Sydney???










engulfed by fire


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## Skyrazer

jpsolarized said:


> can you believe this was in Sydney???
> 
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> engulfed by fire


Whaaaa? Where in Sydney was that?

Oh the humanity!!


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## socrates#1fan

Looking/Up said:


> Wow! Those buildings of Chicago are shocking! I had no idea anythign like that was ever built there. It's a terrible shame it's not still like that...


They were beautiful, it would have been cool if they could be renovated in stone.
That isn't what the city looked like (though turn of the century Chicago was very beautiful), it was built for the World's Fair.


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## jpsolarized

Skyrazer said:


> Whaaaa? Where in Sydney was that?
> 
> Oh the humanity!!


this page has the whole story of this building

http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/2007/national/garden-palace/index.html

cheers


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## socrates#1fan

Andrew said:


> Brace yourself for this... Old Tokyo!


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## Ramses

..


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## heywindup

This thread really breaks my heart. It's surprising how many neo-classical buildings Toronto and Melbourne used to have. Greedy real estate developers really need to be criminally charged.

Fortunately, Paris is above all this. Are there any buildings in Paris that succumbed to greedy developers?


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## Minato ku

Of course also in Paris as in any other cities.

Gaumont Place de Clichy


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## heywindup

the spliff fairy said:


> I could explode with the idiocy of developers in London over the years. It really would be too painful to show what has replaced these buildings - you can imagine the concrete brutalism of that era; What the war didn't destroy the developers did:
> 
> 
> London White City, built for the Franco-British Exposition
> 
> www.oldukphotos.com
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> 
> 
> For a sense of scale the water towers at either end were 300ft tall. The worlds largest fountains were displayed in the front, with jets 250ft high.
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> All following pics from Lost London by Hermione Hobhouse, and www.imageshack.us*
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OMG!! hno:

I am crying as I type. 

Could you please provide me with a list of developers responsible for this?


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## Seattlelife

Wow, Athens' and London's are really sad.


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## Dimethyltryptamine

Melbourne 

Corporation and Fishmarkets - Built 1890, Demolished 1959.









Collins Street - City of Melbourne Bank










Sydney

Metropole Hotel


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## the spliff fairy

...



the spliff fairy said:


> the greatest city walls, not in terms of length but in sheer mass were Beijing's 60ft high fortifications, complete with castle sized gates and watchtowers. Once described as an eighth wonder of the world, it was 23.5 km long but was mostly demolished in the 1965 for a ring road and subway :bash::bash::
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> Deshengmen
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> and some areas of the wall
> 
> southeast corner
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> Forbidden City's Wall and moat:
> 
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> and some lengths are being reconstructed again:
> 
> Yongdingmen


----------



## the spliff fairy

^Those shots of Edo are especially painful, as that was the largest city in the world at the time.


Tokyo Castle (Edo-Jo) was the largest ever built, made up of 5 concentric rings of defences designed to confuse and trap marauding armies, surrounding a central Dojon tower.

Its perimeter stone ramparts were 66ft high, topped by a 40ft wall, and 16 km long. The complex employed 300,000 labourers at height of construction.






































To appreciate the vast scale of the place it once occupied the entire Imperial Park (and some), now site of the new Royal palace built after the war:











It was damaged by fire in 1657 and again in 1863, the rest destroyed during WWII


----------



## uetzel

*just take a look at old frankfurt*



schum-ho said:


> Amazing examples people! Some really sad losses.
> 
> It's depressing to see how some countries/cities/people treat their historical architecture
> 
> I'm glad it's better here in Europe (especially Germany) though, as we have a lot more (and a lot more historically important) old buildings.





Germany's cities belong to the biggest losers since they, like most other european cities, didn't have any money to rebuilt the old city structures.

Frankfurt used to have the largest (!) gothic city centre in the world!

Todays Stuttgart only has its central station and the Jugendstilviertel (Bohnenviertel etc.) intact. the castles have been rebuilt after the old models. The rest of the city is rebuilt in the 50s to 70s style. The newer buildings seem to go better with the city styles in general since they started to care about the looks of the buildings more that they used to.

However there are cities in Germany who have done it right...... atleast partially. A good example is Munich.

That is the reason why the most beautiful places in Germany are smaller towns and villages and some city centres rather than just some large cities.

However as you said a quite large number of old buildings is still intact or rebuild as you said in your post.


sorry for my english hno:


----------



## Mr_Dru

*Rotterdam before 1940 ,random pictures*






























































































































*Rotterdam 1945*

















*Rotterdam 2010*


----------



## desertpunk

the spliff fairy said:


> Those shots of Edo are especially painful, as that was the largest city in the world at the time.
> 
> 
> Tokyo Castle (Edo-Jo) was the largest ever built, made up of 5 concentric rings of defences designed to confuse and trap marauding armies, surrounding a central Dojon tower.
> 
> To appreciate the vast scale of the place it once occupied the entire Imperial Park (and some), now site of the new Royal palace built after the war:
> 
> 
> It was damaged by fire in 1657 and again in 1863, the rest destroyed during WWII


I don't think much of Edo Period Tokyo still existed in time for WW2. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed huge swaths of the city as high winds whipped fires into firestorms and thousands were killed. Tokyo was rebuilt in much the same way except for many districts that were rebuilt in a more modern, western style only to have those buildings badly damaged or destroyed by the massive US air raids in WW2. The 20th century was a tough one for Tokyo.


----------



## the spliff fairy

^I wasnt talking about Edo being destroyed in the war, but the castle specifically. Old Edo was destroyed in 1923 with the earthquake (to this day the worlds costliest natural disaster). The art deco city that arose out of the ashes was destroyed in 1945.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=616934&page=3


----------



## desertpunk

the spliff fairy said:


> ^I wasnt talking about Edo being destroyed in the war, but the castle specifically. Old Edo was destroyed in 1923 with the earthquake (to this day the worlds costliest natural disaster). The art deco city that arose out of the ashes was destroyed in 1945.
> 
> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=616934&page=3


And I wasn't picking on your comments specifically. Other commenters made mention of the Edo cityscape and implied that it was destroyed in WW2 since neither they nor you mentioned the 1923 earthquake. When discussing historical topics, it's important to keep the history straight. Same goes for commenters who believe that old grand exhibition structures like those in Chicago's 1892 World's Columbian Exposition should have been saved. Most of those structures were made of wood and plaster and were never intended to survive the end of those fairs. The ones that did were the stone and concrete permanent 'legacy' structures. Buffalo has several of them as does Chicago.


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## Ønland

talking about demolished citys and buildings there once used to be a Country which was sweeped out of the ground and don't exsist no more from 1940s It was called Prussia in here last years she was ruled by germans until russian toke it british boombed it and russians left it to colapse and din't rebuilded.
A border with Lithuania and Poland(now it's a part of Russia(Kaliningrad) I use to look like Switzerland ..I remember Read about Konigsberg that from the whole europe people move to live to prussia,..from Germany,Lithuana,Poland,switzerland,austria,brits...etc













allmost nothing have left not counting few buildings.


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## poshbakerloo

I can never understand what runs thru the minds of people when choosing to demolish these buildings! "Ooh they are so ugly, bring em down!"???


----------



## the spliff fairy

All pix:http://oldphotosjapan.com

Tokyo

]









1890


















Geishas houses in the Geisha district









Yokohama 1890s









1900 - gateway to the brothel district



















Yoshiwara brothel









Nectarine No 9 brothel
















1910




























1920s



























Rich area of Tokyo










Osaka 1890s-1900s




























Main railway station









1920s











Osaka 1880s



















Kobe 1906





































new years celebrations



























Shettononji Temple









Nagasaki 1890s


----------



## the spliff fairy

Osaka 1920s










Red light district


















Nakonishima Park










Kobe Bund 1930




































Tokyo 1920s-30s - this would have been the greatest art deco city had it survived,
entirely rebuilt after the 1923 earthquake but destroyed in 1945 in the worlds worst bombing raids


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## koolkid

Spliff, thank you. I've always wondered what Japanese cities looked like before the bombings. The canals, the tradtional japanese cityscapes along with the art deco.. I'm awestruck! Japans' cities have always been so neat and clean; They were without a doubt among the most beautiful in the world. Although they're still largely neat and spotless today, they're definitely not the beauties they use to be. Talk about change. It's a shame they weren't rebuilt as they use to be, as some European cities managed to do. With the population explosion though, I doubt the previous, largely, "low rise" model would've worked anyway. I have my doubts though as ,even today, most japanese cities appear to be composed of mostly 2-5 story buildings anyway. Crud!

I'm aware there's still some that has managed to escape destruction. Would you care to refer me to any districts that are still largely intact?


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## Skybean

*Hong Kong*

中環 - 德輔道中、雪廠街 交界 1949









中環 - 皇后大道中、雪廠街 交界









source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/old-hk/sets/72157608410017743/


上環 - 樓梯街 1925









*Queen's Road On Chinese New Years Day, Hong Kong, China [1902] *










http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphrepo_photolog/4165839108/


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## captainCanberra

Ya know i was just randomly thinking about the Singer Building.
I really liked it and its such a tradegy that its no there anymore
but even if it hadnt been built over, it would have been right next to the World Trade Centre
And considering it was quite small it probably would have been destroyed or require demolition after the towers collapsed.

Maybe?

that just made me feel a little better (i mean about the Singer building being demolished, the Sept 11 attacks were horrible. I dont mean to be insensitive, sorry if i offended anyone)


----------



## Jack Daniel

Sydney, Australia 


Originally posted by Aussie Dude


































Originally posted by Culwulla


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## yankeesfan1000

Original Penn Station, credit nyc-architecture for the photos, and RandySavage from wiredny, real crime this was demolished.














































The current scene at Penn Station which is underneath MSG, hopefully the new Moynihan Station is up to par.


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## blogen_

Budapest

Elevátor
built: 1893
architect: Ulrich Keresztély
style: industrial historicism
destroyed: 1945 ruined - 1949 demolished

1893:









1940:









1945:









now:










Ganz Building
built: 1862-64
architect: Ybl Miklós
style: neorenaissance
destroyed: 1945

~1900:









now:










Haas Palace
built: 1873
architect: Linzbauer István
style: neorenaissance
destroyed: 1945 ruined - 1959 demolished

1896:









now:










Grand Hotel Hungária
built: 1868–1871
architect: Szkalnitzky Antal
style: neorenaissance
destroyed: 1945

1880:









~1900:









now:










National Theatre
built: 1873
architect: Szkalnitzky Antal 
style: neorenaissance
destroyed: 1945

1873:









1890:









now:










Lloyd Palace
built: 1827–1828
architect: Hild József
style: classicist
destroyed: 1945 ruined - 1948 demolished

~1830:









1877:









1946:









now:










First National Savings Bank of Pest Building
built: 1869
architect: Ybl Miklós
style: neorenaissance
destroyed: 1945

1877:









1879:









~1950:









now:










General Staff Building
built: 1895–1897
architect: Kallina Mór
style: neorenaissance
destroyed: 1945

1896:









~1900:









1945:









now:










Palace of archduke József
built: 18th century, rebuilt: 1890
architect: Giergl Kálmán, Korb Flóris 
style: neorenaissance (before 1890: Late Baroque)
destroyed: 1945

1889:









~1900:









1944:









now:


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## blogen_

Budapest

Regnum Marianum Catholic church
built: 1925
architect: Kotsis Iván
style: Romanesque Revival
destroyed: 1951 (for Stalin's birthday)

plan:









1930:









1952 (Stalin statue):

















1956:

















1969 (The Dictatorship of the Proletariat statue):









now:










Saint Demeter Serbian orthodox church
built: 1751
architect: Nöpauer Máté
style: baroque
destroyed: 1949

1890:









1920:









1940:









1945:

























1949:









1965:









now:










Buda garrison church (ex Mary Magdalene)
built: 13th century
architect: 
style: 
destroyed: 1945 ruined, 1952 destroyed

1541:









1598:









~1900:









1945:









now:


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## blogen_

edit


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## Saigoneseguy

Merchants houses along Ham Tu quay in Saigon, Vietnam. All were demolished in 2002 to make way for new highway.


----------



## Dimethyltryptamine

Some incredible buildings lost in here


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## OCPagu

kerouac1848 said:


> I guess at least Rio still has a decent moment of heritage to show in its urban environment, one of the best in the Americas IMHO (and i have been!).
> 
> Sao Paulo on the other hand.....


Rio de Janeiro was a wonderful city in the beginning of the 20th century. São Paulo was...ok. The problem is that both cities went through a giant wave of demolition of their architectural heritage in the following decades. We can say that both cities have been rebuilt and what very few of their former buildings survived. Of course that as the core of the Brazilian civilization for more than two centuries, Rio is the heir of the most valuable Brazilian heritage and has preserved a lot more, since they've always had a lot more. São Paulo, on the other hand, lost almost everything.

So, I'm used to the idea of seeing São Paulo as a sterile, boring city in what comes to architecture heritage, the same way I see New York or Caracas, for example. But Rio is one of the most beautiful cities of the world and its blend of modern, neoclassical and colonial buildings in quite unique. That's why I consider its loss more dramatic. São Paulo couldn't miss what it never had.


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## BetaMaxx11

Alma College in St. Thomas Ontario:
































Was once a girls school, then it was abandoned for many years. Just as efforts to save it from demolition came to a success, it was burned down by some punk kids: http://www.atv.ca/london/news_57727.aspx


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## OtAkAw

What demonic possession came into the mind of the Brazilian authorities that they decided to obliterate so much architectural beauties???

It would've been more understandable if the destruction was caused by war for example in Manila's or Warsaw's cases. But an intentional destruction is simply unacceptable.


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## OCPagu

OtAkAw said:


> What demonic possession came into the mind of the Brazilian authorities that they decided to obliterate so much architectural beauties???
> 
> It would've been more understandable if the destruction was caused by war for example in Manila's or Warsaw's cases. But an intentional destruction is simply unacceptable.


Well, Brazil in the middle 20th century was enchanted with modern architecture and the government had a plan of projecting the country's international image as that of a modern nation. The "Parisian look" of Brazilian cities by that time was considered "out-dated", "old-fashioned", then there was not much interest by the govenrment in keeping this heritage. So the government didn't bother about real estate speculation in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro...


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## TugaMtl

I'm disgusted at the amount of heritage that Brazil lost and even more disgusted by the concrete buildings that replaced it.


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## Alvr23

Madrid has lost a lot of buildings, specially during XIX century confiscations, the Spanish Civil War and after it, in the 60's and 70's.

But one of the worst losts was the Royal Alcázar, destroyed in a fire and replaced by the current Royal Palace.

The construction of the Royal Alcázar started in IX century, as a fortress on the top of a hill, during Spain muslim domination. After that, several kings extended it over the years, creating a building which reflected all the hisory of Spain.


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## Ushiro

I'd never guess that it was Rio :OOOOO
There was a thread in Architecture and Urban Discussion in the Brazilian Forums, wich was asking: "Who destroyed the European Rio?".

If it weren't the subs, I'd think that it is in Brazil '-'

It's disgusting what they did :O


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## Melb_aviator

OCPagu said:


> Well, Brazil in the middle 20th century was enchanted with modern architecture and the government had a plan of projecting the country's international image as that of a modern nation. The "Parisian look" of Brazilian cities by that time was considered "out-dated", "old-fashioned", then there was not much interest by the govenrment in keeping this heritage. So the government didn't bother about real estate speculation in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro...


Unfortunately, throughout history, there have been many cases of this, around the globe.

Melbourne also wanted to modernise, and from the 50s through to the 70s, in particular, many of the best remaining Victorian era streetscapes were ruined in a rush to demolish (under the guise of changes to Fire and safety guidelines), leaving far too many cases of 'modernism' gone mad.

Its a pity that people can be so short sighted in their rush for modern life.


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## Suburbanist

TugaMtl said:


> I'm disgusted at the amount of heritage that Brazil lost and even more disgusted by the concrete buildings that replaced it.


I am proud of the Braizlian who razed to the ground cheap, substandard buildings inspired on European styles that never attained the same level of fidelity or harmony they had in Europe. Brazil produced masterpieces of modernist architecture that, regardless of taste, at least would figure in any significant history book about modernism, whilst most buildings (albeit not all) inspired on art-deco, neoclassical and similar ones would remains "just another building" in any European (the continent where such styles were developed in first place) city filled with them.

When it comes to registering buildings, if you can't make it world-class, bulldoze it and try again with something that could be world-class 30 years from now. As Brazil did with many modernist buildings.

On the other side, Brazil also has a fair deal of really word-class pieces of Iberian Baroque, build at the height of wealth of what was then the wealthiest Portugal colony.

Some of the posts of Rio on the last page comprises buildings *meant to be of temporary use only for a World exhibition!*. They were build with the clear intent of being demolish after one year or so. Nothing wrong with that, such buildings appear and go all over the World.


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## groentje

Not bad to hear a different voice, every now and then, but I have to disagree. Not every building was of course a jewel of Belle Epoque architecture, but saying they where mere bleak copies of European examples goes a bit to far. Some Brazilian architects had found a voice of their own, even in the 'foreign' language that was art nouveau or art deco. The 'modernisation' had swept these beauties undiscriminatory to replace them with buildings that wheren't always above average, either.


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## Guest

This thread is so depressing. I can't believe there was talk of demolishing St Pancras Station.

I mean, obviously it wasn't and the building after renovation is now stunningly beautiful, but what my brain cannot comprehend is the fact that someone even thought about tearing it down. Whoever thought up the idea should be shot in the head. Several times.


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## Suburbanist

jamcc said:


> This thread is so depressing. I can't believe there was talk of demolishing St Pancras Station.


St. Pancras should have been torn down and replaced by some glassy post-modern station, like Berlin Hauptbanhof or Liège Guillemins.


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## erbse

^ LOL. Please, go troll elsewhere. This is no thread for jokes, ja.


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## erbse

Pure geiloness.









http://www.fotocommunity.de/search?...0YXJ0IjtzOjI6IjI0Ijt9&pos=26&display=24612807


















http://www.flickr.com/photos/candace/1442559910/sizes/z/in/photostream/









http://www.cntraveller.com/news/2011/may/st-pancras-renaissance-london-opening


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## Zehneh

*SÃO PAULO*




















*RIO DE JANEIRO*




























*SALVADOR*



Soteropolis1 said:


> 1. Panorâmica da cidade baixa, (Comércio) em 1860
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5. Comércio, cais do antigo porto, antes do aterro (prédios Pombalinos, hoje demolidos), em 1860
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 6. Idem, Foto de 1885


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## DanielFigFoz

Brazil used to look a lot like Portugal.

Anyway, i'm not form this city but...


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## erbse

^ Luckily this piece of BS sitting on Berlin's historical core was demolished.


----------



## Slartibartfas

Slightly off topic but I imagine Suburbanist standing in St. Pancras holding a sign that says: "Tear that buttf*** ugly s***hole down!"

How long would it take until he would have to be rescued from the British crowd?


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## Suburbanist

^^ It is less about tearing something down than what you could build instead. There are dozens of brown-brick Victorian buildings in London, but few true post-modernist ones. London would be better with a Calatrava designed station than with this rather common St. Pancras building. Stations build in 19th Century can't function perfectly in 21st Century, unless you drop billions of €/$/£ there, as they did with ST. Pancras. But if you are going to spend billions, build something that is state-of-the-art... art of 2011, not 18yy. 



> Brazil used to look a lot like Portugal.


From 1808 to 1820 the Portuguese court moved to Brazil to escape Napoleon. They then built a lot of stuff in 3/4 major cities to resemble Portugal, even after they left they kept building in the same way.


----------



## Federicoft

Rome

Old Opera House









Now


----------



## the glimpser

the spliff fairy said:


> I've heard Manila was the second most destroyed Allied city after Warsaw in WWII. 100,000 died in the Battle of Manila.


^^True. Sad but Manila never fully regained her status as a proud city of the Far East after WWII.

I don't know if this was posted before but here's a video clip of Manila before WWII (aerial view of city starts at 4:09):





Anyway, going back to the topic, here's another building in Manila that never should've been demolished: *The Jai-Alai Building*.

















_Credits to edelrosario of *rewind* for the photos.._

_The Manila Jai Alai Building was a building designed by American architect Welton Becket that functioned as a building for which jai alai games were held. Built to the Streamline Moderne style, the building was completed in 1940 and survived the Battle of Manila. It was demolished on 2000 upon the orders of the Mayor of Manila Lito Atienza amidst protests, to make way for the Manila Hall of Justice, which was never built._ 
Source:
wikipedia


----------



## daneo

How about Chinese cities? Are they trying to preserve the old towns or are they also slowlyy disappearing?


----------



## Aaronj09

Most of this street


----------



## the spliff fairy

daneo said:


> How about Chinese cities? Are they trying to preserve the old towns or are they also slowlyy disappearing?


Almost all of China's great cities were destroyed in the Taiping Rebellion (the worlds second deadliest ever war, over 30 million died) during the 19th Century. More devastation followed in the end of the Qing Dynasty (temples and palaces in Beijing went from 3000 in 1900 to 300 in 1930), WWII, the Civil War, the Cultural Revolution, and the latest wave of demolition, the economic rise and spectacular population growth of the cities since 1990. Its a wonder anything older than a hundred years stands to this day. Although many major monuments have somehow survived or been restored, many of the Old City districts have long gone - but watch this space, Beijing and Xian are rebuilding theirs from scratch using old maps and photos, while Shanghai, Suzhou and Chongqing are restoring thousands of old streets.

There are also tentative plans to rebuild the Old Summer Palace (+worlds largest gardens) in Beijing, destroyed by Western troops in 1860 and again in 1900, and the City Walls, once the worlds greatest, that were bulldozed to make way for a ringroad and subway in the 1950s.

The Old Summer Palace would be one of the wonders of the world if it were extant today, hundreds of pavilions and palaces on islands in myriad lakes. So big it took 3 days to burn and loot:











Beijing's City walls were 24 km long, 60ft thick at the base and 50ft high. The watchtowers and gates were castle sized:


----------



## erbse

^ Thanks for your input! I remember stumbling upon some threads dealing with old town redevelopments and reconstructions in China once in a while, but I can't find them anymore.

Could you provide some links? Thanks a lot.


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## Rabid Troll

erbse said:


> Pure geiloness.
> 
> 
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> 
> http://www.cntraveller.com/news/2011/may/st-pancras-renaissance-london-opening


Do you mean "guileless"?
This building still exists and recently restored.


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## erbse

Oh boy... My post was related to this plain stupid comment:


Suburbanist said:


> St. Pancras should have been torn down and replaced by some glassy post-modern station, like Berlin Hauptbanhof or Liège Guillemins.



"Geiloness" comes from the German *geil*, quite obviously. 




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_P3uwRiimo


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## George W. Bush

I agree. St. Pancras is not glassy enough. Makes London look like a very backward city. Tear it down.


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## erbse

Stop provoking, bearded troll. :|


----------



## George W. Bush




----------



## kaligraffi

Modernist architecture was once called the greatest crime against beauty in human history, and looking at this thread it's quite impossible to disagree. Countless pleasing, sensibly-built buildings replaced by what can only be described as garbage. It's a cautionary tale that is somehow not heeded by today's architects and planners.

As Orwell said of ideas and intellectuals, there are some buildings so stupid that only modernists enjoy them.



Suburbanist said:


> It is less about tearing something down than what you could build instead.


The mere fact that you only attempt to justify what was built on the grounds of abstract principle proves the futility, and ultimate meaninglessness, of your position. Well done on illustrating for us the absurdity of modernist argumentation.

Perhaps this example was already posted, but here's the old Marion County Courthouse of Indiana:









credit to indygov.org

This was demolished and replaced by this:









credit to indydemocrat.blogspot.com


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## Suburbanist

^^ Sorry, mate, photo-wars don't cut it to me. I HATE the excessive ornamentation of medium/late 19th Century European classical revival. Too much information, too much details. 

I'm a big fan of things that are done on monumental scale, that reduces human beings outside a building to insignificance and that portray an architectonic language that resembles neatness, open plans, vast spaces, endlessly and transiency.


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## the spliff fairy

ah yes, the cold and inhuman look. Sociopathically neat and ordered.


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## Mr Bricks

^You really are an architectural nazi :lol:

EDIT: referring to suburbanists post.


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## kaligraffi

Suburbanist said:


> Sorry, mate, photo-wars don't cut it to me. I HATE the excessive ornamentation of medium/late 19th Century European classical revival. Too much information, too much details.


Hating things with "too much information": the calling card of the vacuous and vapid.

Hating things with "too much detail [read: sophistication]": the calling card of the crass and uncultured.

You want the architectural equivalent of gruel. Everyone else wants a five-course meal.



> I'm a big fun of things that are done on monumental scale, that reduces human beings outside a building to insignificance and that portray an architectonic language that resembles neatness, open plans, vast spaces, endlessly and transiency.


Once again you so ably illustrate the basic absurdity of your ideology: modernism seeks to reduce human beings to insignificance because modernism actively disregards the human condition. Humans, for the modernist, are merely annoying inconveniences. What modernists fail to realize is that in reality their creations, not human beings, are precisely that.

PS, "photo-wars" don't cut it with you because you know you'll lose every single time.


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## erbse

^ Well put, my sincerest congratulations! kay:


Modernism has no place in true human aesthetics.


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## Suburbanist

erbse said:


> Modernism has no place in true human aesthetics.


Maybe. But I despise traditional human aesthetics in favor of a whole new aesthetic paradigm that values the achievements of industry, engineering and what else. I don't want to be entertained by ornate walls or fractalized windows of a building, I want to be impressed, overwhelmed and shocked by something that reminds me how humans without technology are nothing much more than wasted potential.

That is probably why brutalism is my all-time favor genre, likely. But I'll save that for other thread.


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## erbse

You should have your own brutalism-admirer-thread, as no one else cares about it, pal. Hatred is one of the more pleasant feelings offered towards the fallacy of modernist failures.


----------



## OtAkAw

Some more of Manila's lost heritage...

Manila from the air

Aerial photo of Manila, Philippines Jan. 15, 1925, 4 PM by John T Pilot, on Flickr

Puerta de Santa Lucia

Puerta de Santa Lucia Gate into Intramuros, Manila, Philippines 1899 by John T Pilot, on Flickr

1930's Intramuros with burnt-out Ateneo de Manila in the foreground:

Intramuros 1930s, San Ignacio Church, Manila Cathedral, burnt out Ateno de Manila, and Augustinian Provincial House which later became the Adamson University, Manila, Philippines by John T Pilot, on Flickr

The pre-war Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, Unknown date (Early 20th century up to 1930) by John T Pilot, on Flickr

Iglesia de San Ignacio, with an intricate interior made of fine hardwood, some say it took 3 days to burn off completely during the war:

















American colonial buildings and Daniel Burnham's grand plan for Manila are visible in these photos:

Intramuros, Manila Hotel, Luneta Park, Rizal Monument, Army and Navy Club, Elks Club, Bayview and Luneta Hotels, c1930s Manila, Philippines by John T Pilot, on Flickr

Army and Navy Club, Rizal Monument, Luneta Park, Luneta Hotel, Intramuros, Legislative Building, Manila, Philippines, 1931 by John T Pilot, on Flickr

Jones Bridge

Jones Bridge over the Pasig River, Manila, Philippines, c1930s by John T Pilot, on Flickr


And now the sad part...


Japanese controlled Manila Ship Docks on fire after being bombed by American carrier based aircraft. Notice Intramuros behind smoke still with little damage, Manila, Philippines, 1944 by John T Pilot, on Flickr


Burning Manila Feburary 27, 1945 by John T Pilot, on Flickr


Scenes from a Department of Defense 1959 documentary film “The Battle for Manila” (2) by John T Pilot, on Flickr


Americans entering Intramuros during the Battle for Manila, Philippines late Feb. 1945 by John T Pilot, on Flickr


Intramuros, Manila, Philippiines, Just after the Battle for Manila 1945 by John T Pilot, on Flickr


Casas Consistoriales (Ayuntamiento) in the foreground and the Manila Cathedral in the background just after WWII, 1945 by John T Pilot, on Flickr


American troops move into Intramuros section of Manila, Philippines Feb. 23, 1945 by John T Pilot, on Flickr


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## erbse

Manila really suffered badly, such a pity.  So much of the former colonial heritage in the New World is gone... Think of Rio, Sao Paulo, Mexico City... It's too bad, really.


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## WeimieLvr

I'm not trying to say that the Zacatecas Cathedral isn't an architectural wonder - it definitely is - but we need to give credit where credit is due.


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## Adrian12345Lugo

it has been properly credited


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## WeimieLvr

Adrian12345Lugo said:


> it has been properly credited


I know...by me. It's common knowledge.


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## Adrian12345Lugo

sure :|


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## WeimieLvr

Adrian12345Lugo said:


> sure :|


Wow...I can't believe someone would argue about this. It's a matter of your nation's history - I would think that you learned this in school. But keep rolling your eyes if you enjoy making a fool of yourself.

Wanna talk about the "theory" of evolution next?:lol:


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## Adrian12345Lugo

no its funny though because all of this started with a silly comment stating that all colonial architecture is cheap and ugly compared to what was being built in contemporary europe, he was implying, maybe not, but most certainly the reason for this was because it was european colonial architecture built by the natives of the colonies, so i demonstrated a prime example of colonial architecture which has few rivals if any and now you want to claim that the Mexicans had no input in this masterpiece


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## WeimieLvr

Adrian12345Lugo said:


> no its funny though because all of this started with a silly comment stating that all colonial architecture is cheap and ugly compared to what was being built in contemporary europe, he was implying, maybe not, but most certainly the reason for this was because it was european colonial architecture built by the natives of the colonies, so i demonstrated a prime example of colonial architecture which almost has few rivals if any and now you want to claim that the Mexicans had no input in this masterpiece


I never said that Mexicans had no input, but it was built by the Spanish during colonialization. I would think if you want to put up an example of beautiful Mexican architecture you could choose something that is quintessentially Mexican.

I realize that we're off topic, so let's not debate this any further. It's a beautiful cathedral and I appreciate you posting the photos.


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## Fern

Suburbanist said:


> St. Pancras should have been torn down and replaced by some glassy post-modern station, like Berlin Hauptbanhof or Liège Guillemins.


If you ever touch my city I'll kill you myself


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## Adrian12345Lugo

WeimieLvr said:


> I never said that Mexicans had no input, but it was built during Spanish colonialization. I would think if you want to put up an example of beautiful Mexican architecture you could choose something that is quintessentially Mexican.
> 
> I realize that we're off topic, so let's not debate this any further. It's a beautiful cathedral and I appreciate you posting the photos.


fixed for you


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## staff

We're doing a *"MALMÖ - The Lost Buildings"* thread over in the Nordic & Baltic section of the forums. 

Essentially they cleared out massive areas of the city to replace it with modernist housing. In some cases the buildings were never replaced and remains as empty parking lots today.


"Lugnet" neighbourhood after the mass demolitions.


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## Mr Bricks

Adrian12345Lugo said:


> no they were commissioned by Europeans and actually constructed by Mexicans


Man you are ignorant! :lol:

In Spain alone there are countless buildings that beat anything poor old Mexico has to offer. What you have posted wouldn't even be considered anything special in Spain.


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## erbse

*STOP IT ALREADY! Thanks.*


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## Art Victim

Bethlehemskirche, the church for the 18th century bohemian inmigrants in the Mitte District, BERLIN








This is an art work by the Spanish artist Juan Garaizabal that recovers its magnificent story/volume at the original place/size








I find it completely revolutionary. 
This is how it looks by nightby night:

















Bravo!


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## Brazilian001

*My Rio de Janeiro about 1900s*


old por brazilian001, no Flickr









http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/mrbucsanszki/b6.jpg


*Today the same street - this hurt the eyes of anyone*


RIO DE JANEIRO  por Yahoo! Notícias, no Flickr


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## Chmielok

Łódź and its lost heritage:

"Norbelana" factory









"Palestine"









Great synagogue 









Łódź Kaliska train station









Old Town (New Town was founded on the south in the beginnings of XIX century as a factory city)


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## garum0

brazilian001 said:


> *My Rio de Janeiro about 1900s*
> 
> 
> old por brazilian001, no Flickr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/mrbucsanszki/b6.jpg
> 
> 
> *Today the same street - this hurt the eyes of anyone*
> 
> 
> RIO DE JANEIRO  por Yahoo! Notícias, no Flickr


Incredible...hno:


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## Brazilian001

^^ It's terrible what was done with downtown Rio. Whenever I pass in this avenue, my eyes fill with tears to think what it was one day. Nowadays, some of these old buildings still remains, but the soul of our old center was taken forever.

In the photo below we can see that same avenue today with some of its old buildings, but as I said, the soul of old Avenida Central _(Central Street)_ has been lost long ago.


Cinelândia - Rio de Janeiro por servuloh, no Flickr


.


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## Ribarca

The destruction of Manila is devastating indeed. Imagine in Asia a European colonial city enriched with American buildings from the beginning of the 20th century. It was unique and so little is left now.

That Rio image is depressing as well. The old street had so much style. In Europe we often complain what is lost but Asia and South America have lost so much more.


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## Ribarca

erbse said:


> Stop making yourself looking ridiculous, please. I can think of gazillions of more impressive and better refined cathedrals/churches in any European country,


You are completely missing the point of architecture. Buildings reflect a point in history (here colonial) and place (the mixture of colonial and local architecture and the local material used). Buildings can't be put on the weighing scale and compared. They are all unique.


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## the spliff fairy

More Rio


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