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Harpurhey Swimming Baths
'Harpurhey Baths in Manchester, UK were shut immediately during a routine inspection in 2001 amid major health and safety fears when it was discovered there were serious defects in the building's walls and machinery. Cracks in the baths' walls repaired five years earlier had widened beyond repair, and the walls were bowing. There was also problems with the baths' steam boilers and the drainage system. On seeing the consultants' report the council then asked there own architects to carry out an examination. Their conclusion was that the building should be closed as It had gone beyond the point of being tired and was at the stage where it could be considered a danger to public safety.'-- 28dayslater.co.uk
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Buzludzha
'From far, it looks like an abandoned flying saucer sitting on top of the hill but the Buzludzha monument is an enormous construction built on Bulgaria's Balkan mountains to mark the site where the Bulgarian Communist party was founded in 1891. Buzludzha opened in 1981 but after the fall of communism it was left abandoned by the Bulgarian government. Since then it has been heavily vandalized.'-- collaged
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Sightiseeing Theater
'This abandoned Japanese strip club was discovered somewhere around Okayama prefecture by blogger and urban explorer abandonedkansai. Little are known about the place besides its name "Sightiseeing Theater", an euphemism. The photographer describes his exploration: "It seems like the entrance fee was 3000 Yen [...] To the right was a side entrance that lead directly to the oh so known strip room with its orange stage and the countless tine stool bolted to the ground. Well, countless, I guess there were about 150 of them, sometimes as little as maybe 15 centimeters between them. [...] Behind the stage was a small room with a bed and from there a dark, narrow hallway with an uncomfortably soft floor lead to another part of the building, a part that was actually even closer to the locked main entrance. When I got out of the dark I stepped directly… onto a stage. A stage way bigger in a room way bigger than I just left. While the first location was a little bit shabby and tacky with plastic flowers everywhere and gigantic eagles painted on the wall the second room was… actually pretty similar; just bigger, more spacious and in better condition, probably thanks to the wallpaper that was missing in the other room. Close to the stage were the same tiny little stools bolted to the ground, but with a little bit more distance between them. The last three rows reminded me of old cinema seats – of way better quality [...] This room was so cliché 70s porn it was tough to wrap my mind around it. The cheap pink plastic decoration was so horrible I felt a little bit embarrassed just looking at it, but I guess when it was dark and you focused on the stage it didn’t matter. Sadly it wasn’t completely dark in there. Just almost, with bright light coming in from a door leading outside."'-- abandonedkansai
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Chateau, Belgium
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Flintstones Amusement Park
'This abandoned Flintstones amusement park is located in Bedrock City, Arizona. There are weirdly distorted statues of all the main characters, and everything looks like it was done in the 1960's-1970's. After doing some research, this place opened in 1972, and it shows. I crawled through the giant snake on my hands and knees, only to discover that the exit was essentially me being pooped out of the backside of said giant snake. There were a ton of pebbles in there (and not the baby or cereal kind), and I cut my knee.' -- collaged
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Ryugyung Hotel
'The Ryugyung Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea is one of the 20th century’s greatest architectural failures. Initially designed as a beacon of progress and power for this misunderstood peninsula nation, the Ryugyung Hotel was unable to sustain construction when the North Korean government simply ran out of money. Ground was broken in 1987, construction was halted in 1992, and the pyramid-style spire sat dormant and empty for sixteen years.'-- TCL
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Set of James Cameron's 'The Abyss'
'The location used for the filming of the 1989 science fiction film 'The Abyss' was Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant, an uncompleted nuclear power plant on Owensby Road, near Gaffney, South Carolina. There, director James Cameron constracted the largest underwater filming set ever built. It took 7 million US gallons (26,000 m3) of water to fill the tank to a depth of 40 feet (12 m). After filming, the set was left abandoned, as the cost of deconstruction was considered too high.'-- DP
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The Igloo Hotel
'Built along George Parks Highway, near Cantwell, Alaska, this hotel has become a roadside attraction. It was constructed in the 1970's in an igloo shape, to pay homage to the Inuits but it never opened due to building code violations. Since then, it has been used by different owners as a gas station and gift shop.' -- DP
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Wonderland
'Wonderland was supposed to be the Chinese version of Disneyworld. The ruins of what would be the biggest theme park in Asia are situated just 45 minutes outside the center of Beijing, on a 100-acre plot of land. Construction begun in 1998 by the Reignwood Group (a Thai-owned property developer) but it stopped around the year 2000 after disagreements with the local government and farmers over property prices. Developers briefly tried to restart construction in 2008, but without success. Property prices in China have risen 140% since 1998. Today, the abandoned theme park lies surrounded by fields of corn while signs warn visitors to proceed at their own risk.'-- collaged
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Hotel del Salto
'The luxurious Hotel del Salto opened in 1928 to welcome wealthy travelers visiting the Tequendama Falls area about 30 km southwest of Bogotá. Situated just opposite to the waterfall and on the edge of the cliff, it provided a breathtaking view to its guests. During the next decades though, Bogotá river was contaminated and tourists gradually lost their interest to the area. The hotel finally closed down in the early 90's and was left abandoned ever since. The fact that many people in the past chose that spot to commit suicide, made others believe that the hotel is haunted.'-- eyesoncolombia.wordpress.com
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Unknown, Florida
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7 Yugoslavian monuments
'These structures were commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place (like Tjentište, Kozara and Kadinjača), or where concentration camps stood (like Jasenovac and Niš). They were designed by different sculptors and architects , conveying powerful visual impact to show the confidence and strength of the Socialist Republic. In the 1980s, these monuments attracted millions of visitors per year, especially young pioneers for their "patriotic education." After the Republic dissolved in early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost.'-- Crack Two
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Witley Underwater Dome
'As awesome additions to your home go, a billiard room hidden under a lake sounds like the kind of place any self-respecting geek should covet. Turns out, the concept isn’t new; J. Whitaker Wright, a trader, engineer and convicted fraudster, lavished masses of money on Witley Park back in the 19th century, a 32 bedroom mansion which extended into various labyrinthine underground passages and a beautiful underwater room. Unfortunately the house – once owned by the UK National Trust, but then sold off privately – isn’t open to the public, but that hasn’t stopped some photographers from getting in and taking photos of the eerie mansion.'-- Slash Gear
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Perth Entertainment Center
'Perth Entertainment Center opened its doors on 27 September 1974 and for the next 3 decades it was the venue of choice for many top international rock and pop artists. Queen, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, U2 and Oasis were only few of the names that performed on its stage. The indoor arena, built in the city center of Perth, Western Australia, had a capacity of 8,000 seats and it is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest purpose built regular theatre (containing a proscenium arch) in the world. The venue officially closed in August 2002 and remained abandoned ever since. It was demolished between May and December 2011.'-- DP
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Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo Mansion, Moscow
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Hashima
'Hashima is an abandoned island an hour away from the port of Nagasaki in Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 to use it as a base for an underwater coal mining facility. There, they built Japan's first concrete building (9 stories high) in 1917 to accomodate the workers. In the following decades, Hashima became the most densely populated place on earth, with a population of over 5,200 people, or 83,500 people per square kilometre of the whole island. The island shut down in 1974 as a result of the decline in coal industry during the previous years. Since then, it was left abandoned. Hashima was featured in the 2012 James Bond movie, Skyfall.'-- collaged
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Ski Jump Take-Off Ramp
'Take-off ramps for ski jumping are pretty complicated to maintain and their construction is pretty expensive. There are dozens of active take-off ramps which are used for their purpose but, here you can see one located in Murmansk, Russia which has been abandoned for long time.' -- Zuzu Top
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Antwerp Stock Exchange
'The ornate yet relatively unassuming exterior of Antwerp’s old Stock Exchange building hides a hidden treasure. The spectacular interior hall was constructed during the 19th century to replace an earlier building designed by Domien de Waghemakere, which had burned down in 1858. The Stock Exchange building off Meir Street in Antwerp was closed in 2003 due to fire regulations. All but abandoned over the last decade, plans are reportedly afoot that will see the grand structure transformed into a 5-star hotel.' -- Urban Ghosts
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Aquapark
'This abandoned Russian water park was under construction when a deadly accident at another Russian water park, Transvaal, killed 28 people. At this point, construction was halted due to safety concerns. This 12-story structure was to include 3 underground floors, 5 pools, water slides, an athletic arena, a sports gambling palace, a hotel for nonresident athletes, offices, cafes, a medical center and a sports medicine center. The site was purchased in 2007 to make way for a shopping center, but it has yet to be demolished.'-- WU
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New South China Mall
'New South China Mall located in Dongguan, China has both the title of the largest shopping mall in the world based on gross leasable area and also the world's emptiest one. Today, out of its 659,612 square metres (7,100,000 sq ft) of leasable space -and 892,000 square metres (9,600,000 sq ft) of total area- only about 1% of it is occupied, leaving the areas away of the building's entrance deserted. The mall has seven zones modeled on international cities, nations and regions, including Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, the Caribbean, and California. Features include a 25 metres (82 ft) replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a replica of Venice's St Mark's bell tower, a 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) canal with gondolas, and a 553-meter indoor-outdoor roller coaster. While the mall has 2350 leasable spaces, only 47 are occupied. The low occupancy of the world's largest mall is blamed on its location, away from the city's center, and the difficult access as there is no highway close to the mall and it's only accessible by car or bus.'-- collaged
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Abandoned house, New Jersey
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Holy Land USA
'Holy Land USA burst onto the rocky slopes of Pine Hill in the early 1950s, when lawyer and evangelist John Greco responded to a personal message from God (or perhaps a broadcast message also received by the builder of Alabama's Ave Maria Grotto, Iowa's Grotto of the Redemption, and other 20th century divine labors). He directed volunteers who built hundreds of structures, grottos and educational dioramas, using discarded plywood, tin siding, chicken wire, cement and fragments of religious statuary. Holy Land USA was a legitimate vacation destination for families in the 1960s and '70s, drawing as many as 44,000 visitors a year. It was a must-see stop for church groups and pilgrimage busses. Today, evidence can be found of a large parking lot, remnants of a gift shop, and assorted outbuildings. The 17-acre attraction had begun its long slide into the Pit, closing a few years before Greco's death in 1986, at the age of 91. For two decades, Holy Land USA has been a post-nuclear Road Warrior vision of the Holy land, perched on a bluff overlooking Waterbury. It's a fascinating and horrifying wonder of neglect -- a miniature Bethlehem, impenetrable assemblages of junk, creepy tunnels and blasted out buildings, stories of gang murders and a mysterious order of nuns.'-- roadsideamerica.com
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Unknown, Kansas
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Chateau de Noisy
'Originally named Chateau Miranda, this abandoned mansion in northeastern Belgium was reportedly designed in 1866 by an English architect and resembles the setting of a gothic horror film. Once the grand residence of an affluent family, Chateau de Noisy was allegedly occupied by the Nazis during World War Two before becoming an orphanage. The castle has been abandoned since 1991 with little apparent will to restore it.'-- Urban Ghosts
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*
p.s. Hey. ** Scunnard, Hi, J. Yes, thank you a lot for the email and the offer of a post. I would dearly love that, yes, thank you! And here's a nudge in that direction to Lizz too, if she's interested and so inclined. That 'American Horror Story' post is doubly intriguing to me because I've never seen the show, and I need a/her way in. ** David Ehrenstein, Great that the panel went so well! And I for sure will see the Demy show, probably later this week. And, of course, thank you a gazillion again for the amazing weekend. ** Cobaltfram, A Titans of 20th Century Music gets sky-high thumbs up from me, naturally. That would be great in so many ways. Thank you the offer, man! Ah, but the curious state of your memories at this point in your life is exactly a good reason to write about them now before they crystalize. Crystallization has it ups and its downs. I hope the funeral wasn't too painful. All the best to you, John. ** Bill, Hi, Bill. Well, re: the Scandinavia trip, the idea is that Zac and I would write/make a book based on the amusement parks experience with texts, photos, video, sound recordings, and whatever else. We'll need to go to know what kind of book it will be, but we're taking along an arsenal of visual and sound recording devices, including a helicopter camera that we're planning to fly over each of the parks. The idea is that we'll take another work trip and hold up somewhere post- the Japan trip and hopefully make the book while there. The Japan trip is purely for pleasure at this point, but it might lead to a project as well. That wouldn't surprise me. A post on Tsai Ming-Liang would be totally amazing, of course. I only know a little of his work, but I like what I've seen enormously. Thank you, B! ** Steevee, Hi. Great, I really look forward to reading that. Everyone, Steevee aka the seer/film critic Steven Erickson interviewed the super interesting French director Francois Ozon recently re: his new film 'In the House' and about his work in general, and it's up and highly readable on Fandor, and you can get there by clicking this, and please do. ** Cassandra Troyan, Hey! Oh, listen, thank you for blowing my mind! It's a fantastic book, and it was a total honor and thrill to read. Mega-respect to you! ** Sypha, Hi, James. I did search out Bianchi stuff, and it turns out I do know his music a little, and it's great to be reacquainted with it. Thank you again, man. You're reading McCourt! Awesome! Man, is he up there with most under-appreciated and too little read American fiction masters. ** S., Wait, to make ghost boys, you have to ... proceed with caution. Lacanian and/or Ratt groupie. I like what that combo does to my brain. Missing Paris is a one of a kind brand of missing. You are a stacking demon, my friend. Holy shit. But I guess I'll have to take your word for it since I clicked on 'Peter Pan' and found a decimated, empty blog. What's up with that? Guest post would be way cool. Thanks! ** Nemo, Whoa, hi, Joey! I miss you and Jarrod too. Sure, Skype, maybe later this week? I don't have an answering machine, no, so I don't know if you have the right number or not. Love, me. ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T. You are the soul of generosity, my brilliant friend. Thank you so much! And thanks about the BM stack/post. I hope you had the loveliest weekend. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben! ** Lee Vincent, Hi, Lee. Yeah, interesting that the States are where it's mostly at, isn't it? I think Stephen (O'Malley) told me Xasthur lives in Scandinavia now? I can't remember. Weakling ... do I know Weakling? Hunh, maybe not. I'll get 'Dead as Dreams' straight away, as I definitely don't know/have that. Thanks a lot. Ah, yeah, that HHH essay, I know. I guess I feel positive and fond about his ambitions. I think that's my main take away from that. I met and talked to him here in Paris last year. Very sweet, smart guy. Nachtmystium is super great, yeah. Wow, how did I not know about 'Helvete: A Journal of Black Metal Theory'. I just took a brief respite from the p.s. and ordered it. Amazing. I imagine you know about this book. My friend and d.l. Diarmuid Hester wrote something for it. Oh, obviously, I greatly encourage you to write something for the next issue of 'Helvete'. I would so love to read that. Bresson is my god. Capitol 'G', actually. My favorite Bresson films ... that's hard, but I guess 'The Devil, Probably', 'Lancelot du Lac', 'Four Nights of a Dreamer', 'Mouchette'. It's really hard for me to talk about Bresson because I'm so in awe, but I did write this piece about him some years back. Well, there are some contemporary filmmakers whose work echoes Bresson's and owes something of a debt to his. Let's see ... Bruno Dumont, Terrence Malick, Bela Tarr, Philippe Grandieux, ... more whom I can't think of right now. I'll think. I'm really, really happy that you love Bresson's work! ** Chilly Jay Chill, Hi, Jeff. Thanks a lot about the BM and other posts. I liked the new Bell more than 'Cataclysm Baby', but that's not to say I didn't really like 'CB'. I think he's becoming even more assured and ambitious and complicated at what he does, basically. You can see Hell's prose style in the memoir, sure. It's more elegantly smoothed and straightforward maybe, as befits a memoir maybe. Let me know what you figure out about the long dialog issue. I would be very interested to hear. ** Misanthrope, Okay, well, it's good that David is hanging tough. Clearly, keeping in as close touch with him as you can is kind of very important, but I know you know that. Very cool re: the tax issues resolution. You deserve(d) a porn inflected night of sleep. ** Rewritedept, Hey. After Tuesday-ish. Maybe Thursday. We need to sort out the time thing given the big time change and my early-to-bed routine. I probably do know True Widow, and I'm probably just spacing out. I'll check today. Whoa, shit, about your dad's stint in jail. Yikes. Curious to hear the final line-up of covers on your EP, naturally. Later, dude. ** Tosh, Hi, Tosh! Oh, I would love love love to do a post about 'Sparks-Tastic'! Is there an excerpt online anywhere, or you could possibly send me a short excerpt? That's all I would need, and I'll do the rest myself. Anyway, it would be great to do that post if you don't mind. Let me pass along your plug to those lucky enough to be where you're going to be. Everyone, May I have your attention? Thank you. The great Tosh Berman's book 'Sparks-Tastic' is now out, and he's doing some West Coast readings, which you guys on the West Coast would be utter fools to miss. Here he is with the info: 'My book "Sparks-Tastic" is out. Its about the band Sparks when the played their 21 albums in 21 days in London. I am doing a series of readings for the book. If you are in L.A. i'll be doing a reading on April 23rd at Stories and April 29th at Book Soup. April 24 at City Lights in San Francisco and April 25 in Portland at Powell's Bookstore. My whole story is here'. Do go there, you guys. All the best to you, pal. ** Right. Onwards we go. The post today is most self-explanatory, I'm sure, and I hope you like it. See you tomorrow.
Harpurhey Swimming Baths
'Harpurhey Baths in Manchester, UK were shut immediately during a routine inspection in 2001 amid major health and safety fears when it was discovered there were serious defects in the building's walls and machinery. Cracks in the baths' walls repaired five years earlier had widened beyond repair, and the walls were bowing. There was also problems with the baths' steam boilers and the drainage system. On seeing the consultants' report the council then asked there own architects to carry out an examination. Their conclusion was that the building should be closed as It had gone beyond the point of being tired and was at the stage where it could be considered a danger to public safety.'-- 28dayslater.co.uk
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Buzludzha
'From far, it looks like an abandoned flying saucer sitting on top of the hill but the Buzludzha monument is an enormous construction built on Bulgaria's Balkan mountains to mark the site where the Bulgarian Communist party was founded in 1891. Buzludzha opened in 1981 but after the fall of communism it was left abandoned by the Bulgarian government. Since then it has been heavily vandalized.'-- collaged
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Sightiseeing Theater
'This abandoned Japanese strip club was discovered somewhere around Okayama prefecture by blogger and urban explorer abandonedkansai. Little are known about the place besides its name "Sightiseeing Theater", an euphemism. The photographer describes his exploration: "It seems like the entrance fee was 3000 Yen [...] To the right was a side entrance that lead directly to the oh so known strip room with its orange stage and the countless tine stool bolted to the ground. Well, countless, I guess there were about 150 of them, sometimes as little as maybe 15 centimeters between them. [...] Behind the stage was a small room with a bed and from there a dark, narrow hallway with an uncomfortably soft floor lead to another part of the building, a part that was actually even closer to the locked main entrance. When I got out of the dark I stepped directly… onto a stage. A stage way bigger in a room way bigger than I just left. While the first location was a little bit shabby and tacky with plastic flowers everywhere and gigantic eagles painted on the wall the second room was… actually pretty similar; just bigger, more spacious and in better condition, probably thanks to the wallpaper that was missing in the other room. Close to the stage were the same tiny little stools bolted to the ground, but with a little bit more distance between them. The last three rows reminded me of old cinema seats – of way better quality [...] This room was so cliché 70s porn it was tough to wrap my mind around it. The cheap pink plastic decoration was so horrible I felt a little bit embarrassed just looking at it, but I guess when it was dark and you focused on the stage it didn’t matter. Sadly it wasn’t completely dark in there. Just almost, with bright light coming in from a door leading outside."'-- abandonedkansai
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Chateau, Belgium
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Flintstones Amusement Park
'This abandoned Flintstones amusement park is located in Bedrock City, Arizona. There are weirdly distorted statues of all the main characters, and everything looks like it was done in the 1960's-1970's. After doing some research, this place opened in 1972, and it shows. I crawled through the giant snake on my hands and knees, only to discover that the exit was essentially me being pooped out of the backside of said giant snake. There were a ton of pebbles in there (and not the baby or cereal kind), and I cut my knee.' -- collaged
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Ryugyung Hotel
'The Ryugyung Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea is one of the 20th century’s greatest architectural failures. Initially designed as a beacon of progress and power for this misunderstood peninsula nation, the Ryugyung Hotel was unable to sustain construction when the North Korean government simply ran out of money. Ground was broken in 1987, construction was halted in 1992, and the pyramid-style spire sat dormant and empty for sixteen years.'-- TCL
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Set of James Cameron's 'The Abyss'
'The location used for the filming of the 1989 science fiction film 'The Abyss' was Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant, an uncompleted nuclear power plant on Owensby Road, near Gaffney, South Carolina. There, director James Cameron constracted the largest underwater filming set ever built. It took 7 million US gallons (26,000 m3) of water to fill the tank to a depth of 40 feet (12 m). After filming, the set was left abandoned, as the cost of deconstruction was considered too high.'-- DP
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The Igloo Hotel
'Built along George Parks Highway, near Cantwell, Alaska, this hotel has become a roadside attraction. It was constructed in the 1970's in an igloo shape, to pay homage to the Inuits but it never opened due to building code violations. Since then, it has been used by different owners as a gas station and gift shop.' -- DP
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Wonderland
'Wonderland was supposed to be the Chinese version of Disneyworld. The ruins of what would be the biggest theme park in Asia are situated just 45 minutes outside the center of Beijing, on a 100-acre plot of land. Construction begun in 1998 by the Reignwood Group (a Thai-owned property developer) but it stopped around the year 2000 after disagreements with the local government and farmers over property prices. Developers briefly tried to restart construction in 2008, but without success. Property prices in China have risen 140% since 1998. Today, the abandoned theme park lies surrounded by fields of corn while signs warn visitors to proceed at their own risk.'-- collaged
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Hotel del Salto
'The luxurious Hotel del Salto opened in 1928 to welcome wealthy travelers visiting the Tequendama Falls area about 30 km southwest of Bogotá. Situated just opposite to the waterfall and on the edge of the cliff, it provided a breathtaking view to its guests. During the next decades though, Bogotá river was contaminated and tourists gradually lost their interest to the area. The hotel finally closed down in the early 90's and was left abandoned ever since. The fact that many people in the past chose that spot to commit suicide, made others believe that the hotel is haunted.'-- eyesoncolombia.wordpress.com
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Unknown, Florida
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7 Yugoslavian monuments
'These structures were commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place (like Tjentište, Kozara and Kadinjača), or where concentration camps stood (like Jasenovac and Niš). They were designed by different sculptors and architects , conveying powerful visual impact to show the confidence and strength of the Socialist Republic. In the 1980s, these monuments attracted millions of visitors per year, especially young pioneers for their "patriotic education." After the Republic dissolved in early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost.'-- Crack Two
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Witley Underwater Dome
'As awesome additions to your home go, a billiard room hidden under a lake sounds like the kind of place any self-respecting geek should covet. Turns out, the concept isn’t new; J. Whitaker Wright, a trader, engineer and convicted fraudster, lavished masses of money on Witley Park back in the 19th century, a 32 bedroom mansion which extended into various labyrinthine underground passages and a beautiful underwater room. Unfortunately the house – once owned by the UK National Trust, but then sold off privately – isn’t open to the public, but that hasn’t stopped some photographers from getting in and taking photos of the eerie mansion.'-- Slash Gear
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Perth Entertainment Center
'Perth Entertainment Center opened its doors on 27 September 1974 and for the next 3 decades it was the venue of choice for many top international rock and pop artists. Queen, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, U2 and Oasis were only few of the names that performed on its stage. The indoor arena, built in the city center of Perth, Western Australia, had a capacity of 8,000 seats and it is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest purpose built regular theatre (containing a proscenium arch) in the world. The venue officially closed in August 2002 and remained abandoned ever since. It was demolished between May and December 2011.'-- DP
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Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo Mansion, Moscow
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Hashima
'Hashima is an abandoned island an hour away from the port of Nagasaki in Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 to use it as a base for an underwater coal mining facility. There, they built Japan's first concrete building (9 stories high) in 1917 to accomodate the workers. In the following decades, Hashima became the most densely populated place on earth, with a population of over 5,200 people, or 83,500 people per square kilometre of the whole island. The island shut down in 1974 as a result of the decline in coal industry during the previous years. Since then, it was left abandoned. Hashima was featured in the 2012 James Bond movie, Skyfall.'-- collaged
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Ski Jump Take-Off Ramp
'Take-off ramps for ski jumping are pretty complicated to maintain and their construction is pretty expensive. There are dozens of active take-off ramps which are used for their purpose but, here you can see one located in Murmansk, Russia which has been abandoned for long time.' -- Zuzu Top
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Antwerp Stock Exchange
'The ornate yet relatively unassuming exterior of Antwerp’s old Stock Exchange building hides a hidden treasure. The spectacular interior hall was constructed during the 19th century to replace an earlier building designed by Domien de Waghemakere, which had burned down in 1858. The Stock Exchange building off Meir Street in Antwerp was closed in 2003 due to fire regulations. All but abandoned over the last decade, plans are reportedly afoot that will see the grand structure transformed into a 5-star hotel.' -- Urban Ghosts
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Aquapark
'This abandoned Russian water park was under construction when a deadly accident at another Russian water park, Transvaal, killed 28 people. At this point, construction was halted due to safety concerns. This 12-story structure was to include 3 underground floors, 5 pools, water slides, an athletic arena, a sports gambling palace, a hotel for nonresident athletes, offices, cafes, a medical center and a sports medicine center. The site was purchased in 2007 to make way for a shopping center, but it has yet to be demolished.'-- WU
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New South China Mall
'New South China Mall located in Dongguan, China has both the title of the largest shopping mall in the world based on gross leasable area and also the world's emptiest one. Today, out of its 659,612 square metres (7,100,000 sq ft) of leasable space -and 892,000 square metres (9,600,000 sq ft) of total area- only about 1% of it is occupied, leaving the areas away of the building's entrance deserted. The mall has seven zones modeled on international cities, nations and regions, including Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, the Caribbean, and California. Features include a 25 metres (82 ft) replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a replica of Venice's St Mark's bell tower, a 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) canal with gondolas, and a 553-meter indoor-outdoor roller coaster. While the mall has 2350 leasable spaces, only 47 are occupied. The low occupancy of the world's largest mall is blamed on its location, away from the city's center, and the difficult access as there is no highway close to the mall and it's only accessible by car or bus.'-- collaged
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Abandoned house, New Jersey
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Holy Land USA
'Holy Land USA burst onto the rocky slopes of Pine Hill in the early 1950s, when lawyer and evangelist John Greco responded to a personal message from God (or perhaps a broadcast message also received by the builder of Alabama's Ave Maria Grotto, Iowa's Grotto of the Redemption, and other 20th century divine labors). He directed volunteers who built hundreds of structures, grottos and educational dioramas, using discarded plywood, tin siding, chicken wire, cement and fragments of religious statuary. Holy Land USA was a legitimate vacation destination for families in the 1960s and '70s, drawing as many as 44,000 visitors a year. It was a must-see stop for church groups and pilgrimage busses. Today, evidence can be found of a large parking lot, remnants of a gift shop, and assorted outbuildings. The 17-acre attraction had begun its long slide into the Pit, closing a few years before Greco's death in 1986, at the age of 91. For two decades, Holy Land USA has been a post-nuclear Road Warrior vision of the Holy land, perched on a bluff overlooking Waterbury. It's a fascinating and horrifying wonder of neglect -- a miniature Bethlehem, impenetrable assemblages of junk, creepy tunnels and blasted out buildings, stories of gang murders and a mysterious order of nuns.'-- roadsideamerica.com
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Unknown, Kansas
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Chateau de Noisy
'Originally named Chateau Miranda, this abandoned mansion in northeastern Belgium was reportedly designed in 1866 by an English architect and resembles the setting of a gothic horror film. Once the grand residence of an affluent family, Chateau de Noisy was allegedly occupied by the Nazis during World War Two before becoming an orphanage. The castle has been abandoned since 1991 with little apparent will to restore it.'-- Urban Ghosts
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p.s. Hey. ** Scunnard, Hi, J. Yes, thank you a lot for the email and the offer of a post. I would dearly love that, yes, thank you! And here's a nudge in that direction to Lizz too, if she's interested and so inclined. That 'American Horror Story' post is doubly intriguing to me because I've never seen the show, and I need a/her way in. ** David Ehrenstein, Great that the panel went so well! And I for sure will see the Demy show, probably later this week. And, of course, thank you a gazillion again for the amazing weekend. ** Cobaltfram, A Titans of 20th Century Music gets sky-high thumbs up from me, naturally. That would be great in so many ways. Thank you the offer, man! Ah, but the curious state of your memories at this point in your life is exactly a good reason to write about them now before they crystalize. Crystallization has it ups and its downs. I hope the funeral wasn't too painful. All the best to you, John. ** Bill, Hi, Bill. Well, re: the Scandinavia trip, the idea is that Zac and I would write/make a book based on the amusement parks experience with texts, photos, video, sound recordings, and whatever else. We'll need to go to know what kind of book it will be, but we're taking along an arsenal of visual and sound recording devices, including a helicopter camera that we're planning to fly over each of the parks. The idea is that we'll take another work trip and hold up somewhere post- the Japan trip and hopefully make the book while there. The Japan trip is purely for pleasure at this point, but it might lead to a project as well. That wouldn't surprise me. A post on Tsai Ming-Liang would be totally amazing, of course. I only know a little of his work, but I like what I've seen enormously. Thank you, B! ** Steevee, Hi. Great, I really look forward to reading that. Everyone, Steevee aka the seer/film critic Steven Erickson interviewed the super interesting French director Francois Ozon recently re: his new film 'In the House' and about his work in general, and it's up and highly readable on Fandor, and you can get there by clicking this, and please do. ** Cassandra Troyan, Hey! Oh, listen, thank you for blowing my mind! It's a fantastic book, and it was a total honor and thrill to read. Mega-respect to you! ** Sypha, Hi, James. I did search out Bianchi stuff, and it turns out I do know his music a little, and it's great to be reacquainted with it. Thank you again, man. You're reading McCourt! Awesome! Man, is he up there with most under-appreciated and too little read American fiction masters. ** S., Wait, to make ghost boys, you have to ... proceed with caution. Lacanian and/or Ratt groupie. I like what that combo does to my brain. Missing Paris is a one of a kind brand of missing. You are a stacking demon, my friend. Holy shit. But I guess I'll have to take your word for it since I clicked on 'Peter Pan' and found a decimated, empty blog. What's up with that? Guest post would be way cool. Thanks! ** Nemo, Whoa, hi, Joey! I miss you and Jarrod too. Sure, Skype, maybe later this week? I don't have an answering machine, no, so I don't know if you have the right number or not. Love, me. ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T. You are the soul of generosity, my brilliant friend. Thank you so much! And thanks about the BM stack/post. I hope you had the loveliest weekend. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben! ** Lee Vincent, Hi, Lee. Yeah, interesting that the States are where it's mostly at, isn't it? I think Stephen (O'Malley) told me Xasthur lives in Scandinavia now? I can't remember. Weakling ... do I know Weakling? Hunh, maybe not. I'll get 'Dead as Dreams' straight away, as I definitely don't know/have that. Thanks a lot. Ah, yeah, that HHH essay, I know. I guess I feel positive and fond about his ambitions. I think that's my main take away from that. I met and talked to him here in Paris last year. Very sweet, smart guy. Nachtmystium is super great, yeah. Wow, how did I not know about 'Helvete: A Journal of Black Metal Theory'. I just took a brief respite from the p.s. and ordered it. Amazing. I imagine you know about this book. My friend and d.l. Diarmuid Hester wrote something for it. Oh, obviously, I greatly encourage you to write something for the next issue of 'Helvete'. I would so love to read that. Bresson is my god. Capitol 'G', actually. My favorite Bresson films ... that's hard, but I guess 'The Devil, Probably', 'Lancelot du Lac', 'Four Nights of a Dreamer', 'Mouchette'. It's really hard for me to talk about Bresson because I'm so in awe, but I did write this piece about him some years back. Well, there are some contemporary filmmakers whose work echoes Bresson's and owes something of a debt to his. Let's see ... Bruno Dumont, Terrence Malick, Bela Tarr, Philippe Grandieux, ... more whom I can't think of right now. I'll think. I'm really, really happy that you love Bresson's work! ** Chilly Jay Chill, Hi, Jeff. Thanks a lot about the BM and other posts. I liked the new Bell more than 'Cataclysm Baby', but that's not to say I didn't really like 'CB'. I think he's becoming even more assured and ambitious and complicated at what he does, basically. You can see Hell's prose style in the memoir, sure. It's more elegantly smoothed and straightforward maybe, as befits a memoir maybe. Let me know what you figure out about the long dialog issue. I would be very interested to hear. ** Misanthrope, Okay, well, it's good that David is hanging tough. Clearly, keeping in as close touch with him as you can is kind of very important, but I know you know that. Very cool re: the tax issues resolution. You deserve(d) a porn inflected night of sleep. ** Rewritedept, Hey. After Tuesday-ish. Maybe Thursday. We need to sort out the time thing given the big time change and my early-to-bed routine. I probably do know True Widow, and I'm probably just spacing out. I'll check today. Whoa, shit, about your dad's stint in jail. Yikes. Curious to hear the final line-up of covers on your EP, naturally. Later, dude. ** Tosh, Hi, Tosh! Oh, I would love love love to do a post about 'Sparks-Tastic'! Is there an excerpt online anywhere, or you could possibly send me a short excerpt? That's all I would need, and I'll do the rest myself. Anyway, it would be great to do that post if you don't mind. Let me pass along your plug to those lucky enough to be where you're going to be. Everyone, May I have your attention? Thank you. The great Tosh Berman's book 'Sparks-Tastic' is now out, and he's doing some West Coast readings, which you guys on the West Coast would be utter fools to miss. Here he is with the info: 'My book "Sparks-Tastic" is out. Its about the band Sparks when the played their 21 albums in 21 days in London. I am doing a series of readings for the book. If you are in L.A. i'll be doing a reading on April 23rd at Stories and April 29th at Book Soup. April 24 at City Lights in San Francisco and April 25 in Portland at Powell's Bookstore. My whole story is here'. Do go there, you guys. All the best to you, pal. ** Right. Onwards we go. The post today is most self-explanatory, I'm sure, and I hope you like it. See you tomorrow.