Regarding architecture, some buildings stand the test of time while others get lost in the shuffle. As the world changes, so do our needs and desires. This means that some buildings can become obsolete and forgotten once considered marvels.
However, just because these buildings are no longer in use doesn’t mean they’re not interesting. Many of these lost buildings have fascinating histories and unique designs that make them worth exploring.
Some of these forgotten buildings include grand theaters that were once at the forefront of entertainment, abandoned factories that represent a bygone era of industry, and eerie abandoned hospitals that tell stories of the past.
While these buildings may no longer serve their original purposes, they still have value in their own right. Some have been repurposed into museums or cultural centers, while others remain standing as testaments to the past.
If you’re interested in exploring lost buildings, many resources are available to help you discover these forgotten treasures. From books and documentaries to online forums and urban exploration groups, there are plenty of ways to learn about and appreciate these fascinating structures.
01. The Original Neue Elbbrücke Bridge From 1887-1959 In Hamburg, Germany
02. Lost And Rediscovered
03. “It’s Not Possible To Take Such A Photograph Anymore, As The Buildings Outside Block The Sun Rays.” Grand Central, NYC (1929)
04. Built In 1504, Demolished In 1910. What Was The Oldest House In Hamburg, Germany
05. Cincinnati Public Library 1871-1955
06. Buddhas Of Bamiyan 6th-Century: The Statues Were Blown Up And Destroyed In March 2001 By The Taliban On Orders From Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar
07. Medieval Town Of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. Once One Of The Most Picturesque And Pristine Late Medieval Towns In Europe. Destroyed On March 22, 1945, One Month Before The War’s End
08. Old Detroit Library In Detroit, MI. Opened In 1877 And Demolished In 1931
09. The Saltair Pavilion 1900-1925
10. The 2000-Year-Old N6 Pyramid In Sudan, Which Was Demolished In The 1800s By An Italian Treasure Hunter
11. The Late 3rd Century Tetrapylon Of Ancient Palmyra, Syria. Deliberately Destroyed By Isis, 2017
12. Lost Buildings In Warsaw, Poland 1939. No Need To Say What Happened Here. Truly A Tragic Loss
13. Times Square (1919) Before All The Renovations And Billboards
14. Lost Buildings From Villages In The Pacific Northwest, Late 1800s
15. Bowhead House, Edinburgh, Scotland. It Was Built In The Early 1500s And Was Demolished In 1878. Many Locals Mourned The Loss, Having Regarded The House As One Of The Most Distinctive Relics Of The Old City
16. I Took An 1898 Edition Of The California Architect And Building News And Found As Many Of The Houses In San Francisco As I Could On Google Maps
17. The Original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel In NYC Was Demolished In 1929 To Serve As The Site For The Empire State Building
18. The Old Dutch House In Bristol, England. It Was Constructed In 1676 But Was Destroyed During The Bristol Blitz Of 1940 By The Luftwaffe
19. The Armenian Cemetery Of Julfa Had Around 10,000 Elaborate Funerary Monuments Called “Khachkars,” Dating From The 9th To 17th Centuries. In 1998 And 2006, The Azerbaijani Government Destroyed Them All
20. Colored Photograph Of Dresden, Germany (1890) Before The Bombing Of 1945
21. Petrikirche In Berlin | Built In 1853, Destroyed In 1945 By The Bombing Of Berlin
22. The Hotel Netherland (NYC) Photographed In 1905 And Later Demolished In 1927
23. Ludgate Hill, London. Late 1800s. Bombed In WW2, Replaced With Modern Architecture
24. “UFO” McDonald’s In Cambridgeshire, UK. (1990-2008)
25. Sibley Breaker, Pennsylvania, Was Built In 1886 And Destroyed By Fire In 1906
26. Ruins Of The Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
27. Izumo-Taisha Honden, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Though The True Appearance Of This Shrine Is Not Known, These Artistic Renderings Are Based On Archaeological Evidence Of Giant Pillars And Historic Records Stating That The Building Was Raised On A 48 Meter Tall Platform. Stood C. 900-1200
28. Towers Of Bologna, Italy. Built In The 12th Century. Over Time, They Were Demolished, And Others Collapsed. Only 2 Remain Today
29. Imperial Palace At Constantinople, 12th Century
30. The Royal Opera House In Valletta, Malta (1911). It Was Built In 1866 And Destroyed In World War II From A Direct Hit By Luftwaffe Bombers
31. St. Nikolai Church / Hamburg (Germany), Gothic Revival, Tallest Construction In The World Until 1877, Bombed In The Summer Of 1943 By The Royal Air Force. The Ruins Continue To Serve As A Memorial For The Victims Of War And Nazi Terror
32. The Elisabeth Bridge Was Built In 1903 In Budapest, Hungary. It Was The Longest Single-Span Bridge In The World At The Time, And It Was An Engineering Marvel. Following The Retreat Of German Forces From The City In WW2, It Was Blown Up On The Morning Of January 18. Replaced In 1964 By A Modernist Bridge
33. Interior Of The Ss Normandie. 1935 -1942. Destroyed In An Accidental Fire During Refurbishment For Military Service
34. St. Ludwig Monastery – Netherlands. Completely Demolished In 2015
35. Palais Du Trocadéro 1878-1936
36. Grand Entrance, Exposition Universal, Paris, France. 1900 Paris World’s Fair
37. Old Warehouses Of Holländischer Brook In Hamburg, Germany – Once Part Of The Largest Concentration Of Mixed Commercial-Residential Houses In Europe
38. Krestovsky Water Towers, Moscow, Russia. Designed By Maxim Geppener In The Late 19th Century, Demolished In 1939 During The Expansion Of The Motorway
39. Colored Photographs Of Rotterdam Before The German Bombings
40. Zabłudów Synagogue: Built In The 17th Century, Poland. The Wooden Synagogue Was Burned In 1941 By The Nazis
41. Castelinho De Ipanema, Rio De Janeiro. Built In 1904 And Demolished In The 60’s Due To Urban Speculation. One Of The Few Buildings In Moorish Style In Rio
42. Nahavand Castle In Nahavand, Iran. Built During The Sassanian Era (224–651 AD), It Was Demolished In The Late 1800s Because The Shah Believed There Was Treasure Hidden Underneath.
43. 1800s Painting Of Vienna. The City Would Dramatically Change Its Appearance Later In The Last Part Of The 19th Century
44. These “Unknown” Photos Of Pre-War Dresden Show How Beautiful The City Was. All Structures In These Photos No Longer Exist
45. The Old Prussian City Of Konigsberg, Germany (Now Kaliningrad, Russia) Before It Was Destroyed In The Second World War (Colorized). Look At What The City Looks Like Now, And It Is Depressing. Nothing Much Except The Main Church Remains From These Photos; The Rest Is Lost To History
46. This Crane Stood Atop The Unfinished Cologne Cathedral From 1511 Until 1868
47. Kowloon Walled City: This Former Military Base Turned Into China’s Tightest City, It Was Demolished In 1994
48. The Palace Of Coudenberg In Brussels, Belgium. Built 1100 – Demolished 1774
49. Loew’s 72nd Street Theater: 1932-1960; A Far Eastern Extravaganza, And Possible The Last Truly Grand Movie Palace To Be Built
50. Oceanfront Mansions In Sea Bright, NJ. Color Pictures Taken By Steve Brown In 1968. Years Of Demolition Unknown
Apartment Building At Humlegårdsgatan In Stockholm, Sweden. New Zoning Plans Prohibited Apartments On The Street, Which Forced The Tenants Out And The Demolition Of The Building In 1966. A Seven-Story Office Building Replaced It
Federal Coffee Palace: Built In 1888, Melbourne, Australia. A Coffee Palace Was A Hotel That Did Not Serve Alcohol. The Melbourne Location Was Demolished In 1973
Old Post Office Building In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Built In 1892, Demolished In 1966 For A Parking Lot
The Infamous 1906 Earthquake Destroyed Most Of The City, Including The Old San Francisco City Hall (1899)
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