# Ghostscrapers - Abandoned skyscrapers



## MDguy

Here's Michigan Central Station. When i saw it i was like wow nice building! Than i got closer and was like WTF? why is such a beautiful building abandoned???









http://flickr.com/photos/church_of_one/116605054/









http://flickr.com/photos/postpurchase/655685923/


So, why IS it abandoned?


----------



## Protteus

Yeap, very sad to see beautiful buildings abandoned,
there's also one in Mexico City with a strange design called 
Torre Insignia.


----------



## filcan

This is St. Francis Square in Ortigas Center, Philippines:




























Its developer filed for bankruptcy during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 while it was still under construction. There are still plans to finish the project in the future.


----------



## WeimieLvr

Atlanta Medical Arts Building (1927), 384 Peachtree Street















http://www.flickr.com/photos/jack_babalon/2404169352/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jack_babalon/2403348843/


The Atlanta Constitution Building (1948), 143 Alabama Street
Not very tall, but an interesting design.








http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/3962984/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewhutchinson/427636410/


----------



## Canadian Chocho

Hey, Peachtree TV!


----------



## philadweller

"Here's Michigan Central Station. When i saw it i was like wow nice building! Than i got closer and was like WTF? why is such a beautiful building abandoned???"

Because of automobiles. They helped make Detroit and they also helped to remove parts of it.


----------



## ZimasterX

Katek Coal Institute tower in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.


















Hotel Parus in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.











As of now, there are assumable plans to finish both.


----------



## el_norte

interesting blog about the decline of Johannesburg, including plenty of abandoned skyscrapers:

http://deathofjohannesburg.blogspot.com/

A bit cynical and apologetic, but food for thought nonetheless.


----------



## Jim856796

The Torre Insignia in Mexico City is abandoned and I couldn't think of a good use for it since it has a bell inside of it.


----------



## CainanUK

Well, I guess i will be crosing JoBurg off my places to visit list. Looks like a proper hellhole!


----------



## rossie1977

lady luck hotel/casino in downtown las vegas. it was originally closed in order to renovate it but then it changed owners and it now looks like it may follow the old el rancho which stood shuttered and abandoned on the strip for over 8 years









http://www.igougo.com/images/p149388-Las_Vegas-Outside_of_Lady_Luck.jpg









http://media.lvrj.com/images/2101281.jpg


----------



## Cheetoh2002

Jim856796 said:


> The Torre Insignia in Mexico City is abandoned and I couldn't think of a good use for it since it has a bell inside of it.


Im not from Mexico City but is this what you are talking about? the one with a pyramid shape?


----------



## Jim856796

^^ Yes, sir.


----------



## charmedone

heres a few feom kings park long island ny this was a large mential hosptial that was clsoed down in 1996 the whole sight is still there to this day and it has to 12 store buildings one was compleated in the 30's and the outher in the 60's this place was known as the kings park Psychiatric Center

this was building 7 
1960's








now 









and this was building 93
early 90's








now


----------



## AucklandloverUK

CainanUK said:


> Well, I guess i will be crosing JoBurg off my places to visit list. Looks like a proper hellhole!


That website is more than a little negative and is set up by ppl (i believe) who fled South Africa after the fall of Apartied! - says it all! Joburg is improving rampidly, and has achieved loads in a short space of time! You should have a look at the South African forums and there is several photo galleries around that show how its improvin. I started off wiv the same viewpoint but now its the opposite and i see Joburg as pure potential and improvement!


----------



## WeimieLvr

AucklandloverUK said:


> That website is more than a little negative and is set up by ppl (i believe) who fled South Africa after the fall of Apartied! - says it all! Joburg is improving rampidly, and has achieved loads in a short space of time! You should have a look at the South African forums and there is several photo galleries around that show how its improvin. I started off wiv the same viewpoint but now its the opposite and i see Joburg as pure potential and improvement!



Are the photos on the site fake? They don't seem to be...and if not, they speak for themselves.


----------



## mazpro

The Johannesburg photos are terrifying. I have never been there & don´t think everything´s like that over there, but it´s sad to see all those buildings devastated and run down like this. Didn´t expect that much of a bad thing.


----------



## guajero

Gamma-Hamster said:


> "Blue Tooth" in Moscow, never finished, but have chances of being finished in future:


The interior looks amazing.


----------



## castermaild55

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


----------



## Jim856796

The Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel in Houston has stood vacant for some time now, and there is a project to bring it back into use as an Omni Hotel.


----------



## butch83

duke_of_hazard said:


> Not sure if a thread already exists for this. Here is one famous one in Buffalo New York, Buffalo Central Station:


:drool:just splendid, love this art deco(?)design:drool:

Pripyat
from wiki

















The place from the last pic is well pictured in call of duty 4 pc game if anyone played
large gallery
http://www.opuszczone.com/galerie/uk_prypec/index.php


----------



## CityGent

Birmingham, UK has Five Ways Tower. This building allegedly has Sick Building Syndrome.










image by i_like_concrete


----------



## Dane_e

MDguy said:


> Here's Michigan Central Station. When i saw it i was like wow nice building! Than i got closer and was like WTF? why is such a beautiful building abandoned???
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://flickr.com/photos/church_of_one/116605054/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://flickr.com/photos/postpurchase/655685923/
> 
> 
> So, why IS it abandoned?


Thats heartbreaking to see!


----------



## Banjaluchanin

>


Looks like one building used for a scene in the "I Am Legend" movie (where the mutated dogs attack after the sunset).


----------



## ChicagoBuilder

*Michigan Central Station*

This photographer specializes in urban decay (strange I know). But his image of Michigan Central is incredible...










There is also a few good pics at the Wikipedia article...

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


----------



## Fakroef

Banjaluchanin said:


> Looks like one building used for a scene in the "I Am Legend" movie (where the mutated dogs attack after the sunset).


that building was nyc grand central station


----------



## jowmatrix

Michael Bay likes this building, he used it in The Island, Transformers and Transformers 2


----------



## AltinD

That's indeed a very beautiful building.


----------



## Jim856796

The Edificio Somallan in Havana, Cuba was built in 1951. It was originally intended for use as a residential building. However, Skyscraperpage,com claims it is also has government and office use, something that a building like this is not intended to be used for. Also, the lower part of the building is either left unfinished or fell into disrepair.


----------



## butch83

People are living on the upper floors? are there elevators?


----------



## Jim856796

There better be some elevators in that building. If there aren't any elevators, I hope there's a stairwell. If I were to live in the top floors of a building that high, I would rather take the elevator up to my residence than run up the stairwell.


----------



## Seattlelife

wow. It's so eerie seeing towers that look nice and new from afar but are clearly abandoned closer up.

Keep up this thread!!!


----------



## montesky

some of these buildings look awesome indeed. its such a shame that some of them are neglected....with some refurbishment they could look amazing once again


----------



## Raynits

This is the National Hotel(Hotel Nacional in Portuguese) at São Conrado Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The company that owned the hotel bankrupted and the building wich is a Oscar Nyemeyer's project is now abandoned.


----------



## Jim856796

The 37-storey skyscraper in Copacabana has also been vacant for some time. It was going to be put up for use again in 2008, but the renovation plans were scrapped.










Rio de Janeiro is one of the cities bidding for the 2016 Olympics, and these two buildings need to be put up to use again if Rio were to win the bid. They cannot be left unused forever, even during the Olympics.


----------



## mgk920

Jim856796 said:


> The Edificio Somallan in Havana, Cuba was built in 1951. It was originally intended for use as a residential building. However, Skyscraperpage,com claims it is also has government and office use, something that a building like this is not intended to be used for. Also, the lower part of the building is either left unfinished or fell into disrepair.


That building appears to me to be completely abandoned, many of the upper-floor windows do not have glass, same thing with the building behind it to the left.

(Wondering what will happen to it after the Castro Brothers are gone and Cuba returns to the 'free' World....)

Mike


----------



## kidrobot

Alweron said:


> Interesting topic. I'm curious about that "blue tooth" in Moscow, how come it's not finished? It looks quite nice from outside. That stupid to build a nice looking tower and then abandon in the middle of everything. I asume that cost a little more than it was planned and the thing left there?


The thing about that building is that it was supposed to be the first russian skyscraper. It was constructed by some bulgarian company. Than the soviet union collapsed and that company moved out - they weren't payed for months. Noone really cared about that building for ages - people thought more about surviving in that new world. Nowadays it is a nice piece of land many would like to own, but the problem is that the building and the land belongs to six different people and companies, some of which have disappeared (like that bulgarian company) but still are the owners.


----------



## db84

Szkieletor (the Skeletor) in Kraków, Poland. An unfinished office building. Here's Wikipedia article about, with back link to... SSC :nuts:


----------



## ExWNY'er

Cool thread. The Central Terminal in Buffalo is indeed starting to come back to life, but it is still fairly abandoned. So I would list it here for the time being. Philly had one that had a fire and was vacant, but they may have torn it down. Can any Philly people confirm this?


----------



## mvclarke

Michigan Central Station is of the Beaux-Arts Classical style.. how i wish they would preserve the buildings.. also read in wikipedia that the Detroit City Council passed a resolution aimed at the demolition of the structure... any news?


----------



## Benonie

Jim856796 said:


> I had no idea that the midrise in Brussels is abandoned. It or its site has to be redeveloped in some way.


I think the renovated Finance tower on the third picture is back in use again.
There are some wild and rather exciting redevelopment plans for the abandoned part of the old administrative site.










On the left the Finance Tower, the 3 new towers wil be residantial ones.


----------



## 540_804

Here's one from Richmond, Va. 

Central National Bank Building


----------



## Jeromeo

Here is one from The Hague. used to be named 'De Wereldhaven'.
Build in 1968 with 16 floors. It is an empty building waiting to be demolished.


----------



## Don Quichotte

nice pic, what an archeticture


----------



## Benonie

Jeromeo said:


> Here is one from The Hague. used to be named 'De Wereldhaven'.
> Build in 1968 with 16 floors. It is an empty building waiting to be demolished.


Why? Looks good and could be renovated.


----------



## MDguy

My favorite Skyscraper in Memphis sits vacant, as it has since the 80s. There are plans to redevelop it though. Not very solid plans though.









by me


----------



## 540_804

Maybe all of the members of ssc could pool their money to buy a scraper! Make it the ssc world headquarters.  jk


----------



## Jim856796

You thought One Times Square in New York City was vacant, wait till you see this German skyscraper: the Bayer Hochhaus, the tallest structure in Leverkusen, was used as an office tower for the Bayer Pharmeceutical Company. A proposal came up to demolish the tower in 2003. The demolition date was delayed by a few years until it was scrapped altogether. Then a proposal came up for the building to be used as a billboard. The building will remain vacant for the rest of its life. Both of these proposals are bad and if the building is used as a billboard, it will become a white elephant. It can't be used for offices anymore, so I'm considering adding a new facade and converting this into wither hotel or residential use.


















By the way, qhat exactly is the tallest vacant building in the world that was formerly used for any function? It could possibly be the Book Tower in Detroit, although there could possibly be a taller building.


----------



## Grunnen

This is the largest one I know, the residential building at Kielstraße, Dortmund, DE:










The apartments were sold to private owners with misleading promotional brochures, so many of the new owners couldn't pay their mortgage rates, not to speak of maintenance of the building. So more and more tenants left and eventually the fire department closed it down for being unsafe.

Now it stands like this for years already, and it still isn't clear what to do with it.


----------



## Trisuno

*Tour UAP/AXA*, in Lyon. 71m (or 74m). Built in1972
Abandonned for at least 15 years but it's demolition is now in progress (will normally be replaced by a 200m tower...)


----------



## boxaccounts

Thankiossk Cool!


----------



## butch83

Those art deco towers in Richmond and Memphis are great, hope they wont fell into despair.


----------



## mi3max

*Torre Galfa | MILAN | ITALY*

Completed in 1959, this high-rise is actually abandoned, a renovation project was proposed but its status at the moment seems to be on hold.


----------



## redbaron_012

Ok,some of these buildings are crap, obsolete or maybe full of asbestos ? but many I see of the old solid Art Deco period in some US cities are worth keeping. Similar era buildings in my city, are listed by the National Trust and encouraged to be restored as boutique offices or converted into apartments....where they have a premium / rental / sale position amongst new buildings. I see Detroit has many of these but know money must be tight there at them moment leading to more decay. Imagine in a hundred years these all restored and gleaming!...............Don't pull'm down!


----------



## mubd

mi3max said:


> Completed in 1959, this high-rise is actually abandoned, a renovation project was proposed but its status at the moment seems to be on hold.


That actually looks alright.


----------



## Nightsky

deep sea buildings said:


> never used but abandoned all the same, the pyongyang pyramid


Abandoned for many years, but construction has now resumed on Ryugyong:
http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=177


----------



## Jim856796

Benonie said:


> I think the renovated Finance tower on the third picture is back in use again.
> There are some wild and rather exciting redevelopment plans for the abandoned part of the old administrative site.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the left the Finance Tower, the 3 new towers wil be residantial ones.


How about we demolish the midrise instead of building all of these futuristic-looking new skyscrapers because they're not gonna match well with the cityscape. A green space should be on this site.


----------



## Benonie

Ther is still and there will be green space over there in the future. There's a park between the towers.
Probably the midrises will be renovated and stay offices. Those 'futuristic' towers are residential towers. They are welcome because of Brussel's expanding population and because now the area is abandoned after office-houres.


----------



## Benonie

The TBR-tower in the North District of Brussels (right) is abandoned for some years now.
There were plans for renovation (left). But this plans were rejected by NIMBY's of the residential apartment buildings next to the tower.


----------



## Jim856796

Benonie said:


> Ther is still and there will be green space over there in the future. There's a park between the towers.
> Probably the midrises will be renovated and stay offices. Those 'futuristic' towers are residential towers. They are welcome because of Brussel's expanding population and because now the area is abandoned after office-houres.


I don't care about the expanding population, they are NOT right for this city. I reject this proposal. All of the land needs to become greenspace. How about, like, a mall or something (and not a shopping one)? The Finance Tower and the new building can stand alone in this site.


----------



## minneapolis-uptown

Benonie said:


> ^^ Great development plans! I suppose those building is an abandoned grainsilo?


yes. Minneapolis is FILLED with abandoned grain silos. This one is actually very well known though


----------



## Benonie

Thanks. I can imagine it's a hard job to make office or residantial space of those silo's. Man, that's pure concrete! But I do like the idea! kay:


----------



## thicken

bulding in sp is sucks, ive been there

B R A S I L

www.umintercionalista.blogspot.com


----------



## travelbug

Does this go in here yet?


----------



## wawd

great thread, thanks for all the pics everyone !


----------



## Benonie

travelbug said:


> Does this go in here yet?


Is that an abandoned building? Looks like it's still under construction.
Where is this one situated?


----------



## Jim856796

^^Sir, that's the Fontainebleau Hotel in Las Vegas. Should have been perfect in Macau.


----------



## Nick4u1

Is that really abandoned? I have friends in Detroit and there are a lot of abandoned scrapers and large buildings, some with the most beautiful interiors (now decayed).


----------



## Brian.K

el_norte said:


> interesting blog about the decline of Johannesburg, including plenty of abandoned skyscrapers:
> 
> http://deathofjohannesburg.blogspot.com/
> 
> A bit cynical and apologetic, but food for thought nonetheless.


this blog is the biggest load of bullshit!
:bash:
so ,amy of the buildings in the blog where they show before and after are not even the same buildings. and where the buildings have been refurbished. which is very often the case due to urban renewal - they never put the updated photos of the refurbed buildings on the website. the blog is run by a racist bigot!


----------



## Brian.K

WeimieLvr said:


> Are the photos on the site fake? They don't seem to be...and if not, they speak for themselves.


check out the south africa forums and you will see a very different picture of SA. that forum is made by apartheid loving racists! they exaggerate the negatives. they never show you the good parts of teh cities. its only the bad. they are just trying to convince themselves they did the right thing in leaving the country. if they hate sa so much why are they obsessed with posting pics and negative stories about the country. some people???


----------



## TEBC

Jim856796 said:


> The 37-storey skyscraper in Copacabana has also been vacant for some time. It was going to be put up for use again in 2008, but the renovation plans were scrapped.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rio de Janeiro is one of the cities bidding for the 2016 Olympics, and these two buildings need to be put up to use again if Rio were to *win the bid*. They cannot be left unused forever, even during the Olympics.





Raynits said:


> This is the National Hotel(Hotel Nacional in Portuguese) at São Conrado Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The company that owned the hotel bankrupted and the building wich is a Oscar Nyemeyer's project is now abandoned.


We won, and both building were already sold to Hotel Chains and will be ready for 2014 WC.


----------



## ArkinMourad

Sathorn Unique ,Bangkok , Thailand this one is almost 50 story the Monument of buble economy


----------



## Jim856796

In January 2010, Elm Place in Dallas became vacant after many offices were foreclosed. It would be the tallest abandoned building in the United States and possibly the world.


----------



## dfwcre8tive

^ Elm Place has a weird ownership: the tower portion was vacated but the lower levels (under different ownership) are still open. Nearby abandoned structures, though, include the Tower Petroleum Building, Corrigan Tower, 211 North Ervay, Dallas Statler HIlton and a few others. Many have plans for redevelopment.


----------



## city of the future

edit


----------



## minneapolis-uptown

Benonie said:


> Thanks. I can imagine it's a hard job to make office or residantial space of those silo's. Man, that's pure concrete! But I do like the idea! kay:


i think they are just going to demolish the silos and build a new building to look like silos, but keep the other part


----------



## EuroMaster

Rotterdam

Vopak










This is left of the building. Waiting for a renovation. (Picture taken by Eric Offereins)


----------



## Jim856796

^^Isn't there already a project to renovate that building? Also, can the building receive a new top?


----------



## Swarfiga

*Tobacco Warehouse Stanley Dock, Liverpool*

I guess this counts, My favourite building. This is an abandoned warehouse in Liverpool, England. In 1901 upon completion it was said to be the biggest building in the world, and nowadays still regarded as the largest Brick built building / warehouse. Also thought to be one of the most haunted buildings in Liverpool.










14 stories, 36 acres. 27 Million Bricks, 30,000 panes of glass. A small section is used on the ground floor as a weekly Market. There were plans in 2007 for redevelopment, yet nothing has materialised thus far. Such a daunting building to be near.


----------



## Black Cat

I recall from a visit in 1999 that Mexico City had a few high rise residential buildings which were abandoned due to earthquake settlement in the 80s, and which were leaning. Are they still there?


----------



## spectre000

Jim856796 said:


> Can a boarded-up building still be renovated/brought back into use if its structural condition is not terrible? Also, what is the purpose of boarding up a building?


As long as the structure is sound, most buildings can be rehabilitated. Just depends how much someone is willing to spend and put into that effort. 

Boarding up a building prevents vandals from smashing windows, protecting the interior from the outside elements, and squatters living in them. Just to name a few.


----------



## Dallas star

dfwcre8tive said:


> Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells, Texas. One of the first skyscrapers built outside of a major city.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Hotel_(Mineral_Wells,_Texas)


Been here before. This building empty literally ruins the entire city.


----------



## Insighter

tanklv said:


> As of today - 10 July 2010 - this building remains abandoned. Someone bought it last year, but it is to remain abandoned for ten to twenty years at least until the economy improves, according to the new owner (I believe it is Carl Ichan).
> 
> Thanks repukes (republican party) for your SHIT policies which have brought the world to the brink of financial DEPRESSION!!! It is the greedy repukes and ONLY the repukes who have caused this!!! And now the country is considering giving it all back to them - and the teabaggers - after less than two year of trying to fix THEIR mess!!!!


I recommend that you (and everyone) read the book, Reckless Endangerment, by NY Times writer Gretchen Morgensen and Joshua Rosner, to get a better understanding of the real estate bubble of the late 2000s and the decades of reckless policies that contributed to it. The preface has a "cast of characters", real people whe were instrumental in creating the disaster. You would be surprised to see which party most of them are affiliated with.


----------



## CHLayson

some of the abandoned skyscraper was wasted.


----------



## SydneyCity

Jim856796 said:


> Can a boarded-up building still be renovated/brought back into use if its structural condition is not terrible? Also, what is the purpose of boarding up a building?


Sure it can. Sydney's famous Queen Victoria Building lay boarded up and derelict for a long time until the mid 1980s, and now it is a luxury shopping mall.


----------



## 1Filipe1

Martin tower in bethlehem, pa


----------



## Gistok

Detroit's fabulous Michigan Central Station, second in size only to New York's Grand Central Station.... has been getting an upgrade...

Granted that no plans have yet been formulated on its' future use... but at least a new roof has been installed, all the debris and much of the graffiti removed, and new windows installed. Supposedly this is the pet project of the wife of the billionaire owner of the nearby Ambassador Bridge (busiest border crossing between USA/Canada).

Although work is still underway... the dark brooding hulk is now starting to shine.... with lights on inside...


----------



## ThatOneGuy

^^ I wish more updates would be released with the restoration progress!


----------



## JmSepe

anakngpasig said:


> JAKA Tower _also known as CHAKA (meaning: UGLY) Tower_, a casualty of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. This is the only unfinished/abandoned tower along Ayala Avenue, Makati *sigh*. Every time I see this building, it makes me really want to nuke it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://media.photobucket.com/image/jaka tower/anzenrealty/jaka.jpg


You better nuke it first or else I will do it :lol: hno:


----------



## melrocks50

JmSepe said:


> You better nuke it first or else I will do it :lol: hno:


If you nuke it the whole city will be destroyed.


----------



## Kopacz

anakngpasig said:


> JAKA Tower _also known as CHAKA (meaning: UGLY) Tower_, a casualty of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. This is the only unfinished/abandoned tower along Ayala Avenue, Makati *sigh*. Every time I see this building, it makes me really want to nuke it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://media.photobucket.com/image/jaka tower/anzenrealty/jaka.jpg


What is that nice tall glassy tower behind it ? I've never seen it before.


----------



## anakngpasig

^^it's the GT Int'l Tower


----------



## MafTownBoy

*Johannesburg*

Here are a couple from down town Joburg. Pretty much all of these buildings have been abandoned due to crime in this part of town.

The first pic is of the former Carlton Hotel, once the pride of Johannesburg, a five star hotel that played host to the rich and famous. Vacant since 1997 









The former Johannesburg Sun, another exclusive hotel building that has been abandoned. Vacant since 2003









IBM's former office in the CBD, vacant since 2005

















Old Mutual's former building in the CBD. Vacant since 2000


----------



## reynaldovelazquez

Jim856796 said:


> By the way, qhat exactly is the tallest vacant building in the world that was formerly used for any function? It could possibly be the Book Tower in Detroit, although there could possibly be a taller building.


Torre David - Centro Financiero Confinanzas almost 80% finished until the Venezuelan Financial Crisis in the 90's , now 15 years later thanks to the Communist Hugo Chavez politics is occupied for people that invade the unfinished structure, living in the Office, Hotel and even the parking areas

there are 52 floors and no, theres not a single elevator running... theres not even running water or electricity

thats Venezuelan Socialism of the 21th century



EDUARDOPJ said:


>


if you dont believe me



Bernini said:


>




more pics here:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=574113&page=17
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=574113&page=16


----------



## rincon

^^ hno: wow that looks like crap. Are the other buildings surrounding this tower occupy by professionals office workers? Is this like in the middle or close to the business office district?


----------



## UjaiDidida

Abandoned skyscraper @ Bangkok


Bangkok : Abandoned Skyscraper by -AX-, on Flickr


Bangkok : Abandoned Skyscraper by -AX-, on Flickr


Bangkok : Abandoned skyscraper by -AX-, on Flickr


Bangkok : Abandoned skyscraper by -AX-, on Flickr


Bangkok : Abandoned skyscraper by -AX-, on Flickr


----------



## Jeanf1990

rincon said:


> ^^ hno: wow that looks like crap. Are the other buildings surrounding this tower occupy by professionals office workers? Is this like in the middle or close to the business office district?


Is in the middle to the business office district.


----------



## CxIxMaN

Some abandoned buildings in Malaysia

Located in Genting Highlands, Malaysia

I don't know about you but abandoned buildings that once saw thier heyday really makes me feel depressed by AsianTulip, on Flickr


Neighbouring hotel...totally abandoned by AsianTulip, on Flickr



Abandoned hotel by whimsicalbunneh, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/groups/urbex-malaysia/pool/page2/


Pekeliling Flats: Deserted and dangerous


> The flats, where its last occupants vacated the premises in the late 2008, were left to rot.
> 
> Since then, vagrants, drug addicts and the homeless have made the 17-storey flats their home.
> 
> Safety activist and expert Capt K. Bala said the abandoned flats were a perfect place for crime and a hotbed for illegal activities.
> 
> “The flats are located in a prime area with a bus terminal and monorail station, which makes it a high human traffic area. These people can become victims of crime,” he said.
> 
> According to Bala, abandoned buildings are the perfect places to commit a crime of opportunity and related the 1987 unsolved murder of 10-year-old Ang May Hong.
> 
> “The little girl’s body was found several hours later in an unoccupied house about 200m from her home in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur.


 from:http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/8/13/central/11844088&sec=central











CAL Outing: Abandoned Flat - Pekeliling (28/11/09) by signither, on Flickr


flat pekeliling by zat_asyraff, on Flickr


----------



## UjaiDidida

^^ so creepy


----------



## tita01

reynaldovelazquez said:


> Torre David - Centro Financiero Confinanzas almost 80% finished until the Venezuelan Financial Crisis in the 90's , now 15 years later thanks to the Communist Hugo Chavez politics is occupied for people that invade the unfinished structure, living in the Office, Hotel and even the parking areas
> 
> there are 52 floors and no, theres not a single elevator running... theres not even running water or electricity
> 
> thats Venezuelan Socialism of the 21th century
> 
> 
> if you dont believe me


venezuelan people need this 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Power_Revolution

to ousted Communist | Dictator Hugo Chavez since 1999 in office ^^


----------



## Eric Offereins

Redkey said:


> Whitney block - Toronto


This should be converted into apartments. Great building.


----------



## ThatOneGuy

I took these photos when I was in Bahamas 

I was surpised at how scary this place was.









































Shotgun shells found near the parking lot


----------



## rgarrison

All in Detroit:
Book Tower 

















Metropolitan Building 

















The United Artists Theatre Building

















Lee Plaza Hotel









and a repost


----------



## ikops

There are some really impressive buildings here. Such a shame it's wasted.


----------



## Xaevus

Detroit would be a great place to film a post-apocalyptic movie.. like I AM LEGEND or something


----------



## phylchurch6

Infrazione a matteosc per spam


----------



## Xaevus

Broken/Dead links phyl ^^


----------



## redbaron_012

If there was only a deranged multi billionaire who could take Detroit in hand and in say 20 years it would be magnificent.....any suggestions ? Our guy is building the Titanic but this is a bigger deal..........

but then if all you guys would start buying American cars.......


----------



## ikops

I wouldn't mind buying an American car, but they are way too expensive in Europe.


----------



## Xaevus

^^ best thing about living in europe is being able to see this:


----------



## deadhead262

ikops said:


> I wouldn't mind buying an American car, but they are way too expensive in Europe.


American cars are generally inferior to European, Japanese cars.


----------



## DecoJim

By the way the Michigan Central Station is supposed to be getting a new roof and new windows as part of a stabilization project. If I can get down there to take some new pictures, I will post them.

The job losses in the Detroit area are not just from competition from imported cars and cars built in US factories run by Japanese or European automakers. There was also a natural job loss from the fact that as the US auto manufactures got more efficient and introduced greater outsourcing of parts, they require fewer works per car assembled. 

US automakers have improved quality significantly; whether they have largely caught up with the best Japanese and German manufactures is debatable. I have noticed that for some people in that debate perception lags reality; they base there views on the 1970s when Detroit auto quality reached a low-point.

There is also the uneven playing field with regards to trade.



ikops said:


> I wouldn't mind buying an American car, but they are way too expensive in Europe.


This is because of unfair value added tax policies of the European Union toward the US. From an article "Foreign tax policies put U.S. cars at disadvantage":


> Compare a German and American car, each offered to the consumer in its home market for $20,000. When the German car is exported to the United States, the VAT taxes are rebated, and it costs $17,885 here -- a price advantage of roughly 10% due only to the difference in tax systems, not corporate competitiveness.
> 
> The $20,000 American car exported to Germany is saddled with the VAT at the border -- which is imposed not just on the base price of the car, but the shipping and insurance costs as well -- and winds up costing $25,792 in Germany.


Full article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812100354


----------



## elculo

In Cyprus exists a complete abandoned beach resort:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varosha,_Famagusta









wikipedia









wikipedia


----------



## Eric Offereins

Xaevus said:


> Detroit would be a great place to film a post-apocalyptic movie.. like I AM LEGEND or something


yep, so much abandoned buildings, but also so much emptyness in the streets, etc. This area needs redevelopment on a massive scale.


----------



## tim1807

Enjoy!


----------



## elculo

Enjoy what? A link to google street view of some suburbs of Detroit? Can't see any abandoned skyscrapers in that area...


----------



## tim1807

It was more of a link about detroit and it's abandoned places.


----------



## tonttula

That Book Tower is a gem. For some reason this thread is my favorite in the whole forum.  Some unbelievable buildings and surroundings.



DecoJim said:


> This is because of unfair value added tax policies of the European Union toward the US. From an article "Foreign tax policies put U.S. cars at disadvantage":
> 
> 
> Full article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812100354


To be fair USA also uses the so called chicken tax. Meaning that example VW is in a worse situation than the local manufacturers. Chicken tax is most of all towards small trucks, like F-150 that is year after year by a big margin the most sold car in USA. 
Also just shipping some of the USA cars here simply wont work as the taxation works according to the engine displacement size in EU. It's the same no matter is the car from USA, Sweden, Germany, Japan etc. Same that the European manufacturers naturally have to face in USA.


----------



## alheaine

those detroit buildings are such a waste..i hope they get revitalized..:yes: that Book Tower is really nice..what was it before it was abandoned?


----------



## tim1807

It was an office tower, but after changing from owners a few times the last tenants moved out in 2009.


----------



## TGN2010

*Office building TKZ, Taganrog,Russia* 
Built in 80s, after 1991 was abandoned.


----------



## Skopje/Скопје

Skopje, Macedonia. It's the building of the Jugobanka (Bank of Yugoslavia). The construction started in the late 1980's, but in 1991 socialist Yugoslavia collapsed and the building remained unfinished till present days. The current government of Macedonia has announced plans to finish it for Department of Treasury, but so far there is no visible progress.


----------



## Tchokan

Monte Palace Hotel - São Miguel Island - Azores Islands - Portugal 

Built in the 80s, was the most luxurious hotel in the region. Located in west side of the island with a fantastic view to the Sete Cidades Lake. Was abandoned a few years after the completion. hno:














































The sight:









The current use:

Police training :lol:









Heavy metal photo scenarios (Stampkase) :lol:


----------



## isaidso

In almost any other city in the western world those Detroit buildings would be high end addresses. If Detroit doesn't want them, how about shipping them piece by piece up here?


----------



## Xaevus

lets blow them up in some high-budget hollywood movie! 

use them as some CIA HQ and then near the end implode them


----------



## RegentHouse

isaidso said:


> In almost any other city in the western world those Detroit buildings would be high end addresses. If Detroit doesn't want them, how about shipping them piece by piece up here?


There's a lot of underutilized historic skyscrapers across the U. S. Still, it annoys me how Detroit has been demolishing so much of its heritage at taxpayer's expense with absolutely nothing in return.

The Venezuela one reminds me of what happened to Chavez's body after going on tour.


----------



## JMGA196

Not a skyscraper but...

*La Democracia Stadium, Guatemala City*



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## ikops

Tchokan said:


> Monte Palace Hotel - São Miguel Island - Azores Islands - Portugal
> 
> Built in the 80s, was the most luxurious hotel in the region. Located in west side of the island with a fantastic view to the Sete Cidades Lake. Was abandoned a few years after the completion. hno:


Too few tourists?


----------



## paulgood

I see of the old solid Art Deco period in some US cities are worth keeping. Similar era buildings in my city, are listed by the National Trust and encouraged to be restored as boutique offices or converted into apartments...


----------



## ThatOneGuy

TGN2010 said:


> *Office building TKZ, Taganrog,Russia*
> Built in 80s, after 1991 was abandoned.


Actually a cool looking building. Far better than the typical Soviet housing blocks. It's a nice example of the brutalist style and it should be restored without too much editing.


----------



## ketoperuano

*Lima - Perú - South America*

This building situated on the corner of Avenues Emancipación and Tacna has been abandoned for more than 40 years...


----------



## kevo123

Ryugong Hotel in Pyongyang, one of the tallest hotel but also the "ghostest" one


----------



## ThatOneGuy

^^It is not abandoned. hno:


----------



## Eric Offereins

It was for a long time, good to see it being finished.


----------



## Tchokan

ikops said:


> Too few tourists?


Possibly, but mainly mismanagement. hno:


----------



## maikeli

Old defunct waltons department store in Brisbane the 5 story red brick part of only 4 levels have nothing on them including the two white annexes this department store has largely remained empty since 1987


----------



## Ivanator

Wow some of these are fantastic. There's something about these eery abandoned buildings that just make you want to go there and explore them. I'm not the only one, right?


----------



## bozenBDJ

*Menara Saidah*, Jakarta, ID is one example of an abandoned highrise in Jakarta.

The building is said to be built on a burial ground (Jakarta has a lot of cemetaries :bash: ).

















^^ lobby









^^ basement parking









^^ canteen









^^ offices

Source > http://finance.detik.com/readfoto/2013/07/29/105010/2317050/461/1/menara-saidah-kini-tak-berpenghuni

Oh, and more 'horrors/problems' with this highrise can be found at (Not using English)  > http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1481474


----------



## Highcliff

ThatOneGuy said:


> ^^It is not abandoned. hno:


are you sure?....hehe....:troll:....:cheers::cheers2::cheers::cheers2::cheers:


----------



## hqho1671

Irqah hospital Riyadh Saudi Arabia

An amazing abandoned hospital that was evacuated not long after it was completed. Even after 35 years the electricity still works.. what a waste. The reason it was abandoned is unknown, some say it was abandoned because it was build on haunted grounds. But I can't confirm that.. at all.

Look like a luxury hospital at that time











































































Police in the front of the hospital last year


----------

