HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 2:29 PM
MolsonExport's Avatar
MolsonExport MolsonExport is offline
The Vomit Bag.
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Otisburgh
Posts: 44,716
Vacant and/or Abandoned Skyscrapers

I am fascinated with grit, dead malls, and vacant skyscrapers. It occurred to me that the latter might be an interesting topic for a thread.


Here are a few to get things started:

1) Buffalo Central Terminal (Buffalo, NY)

wikipedia

The New York Central Terminal in Buffalo, New York, USA, was a key railroad station from 1929 to 1979. The 17-story Art Deco style station was designed by architects Fellheimer & Wagner for the New York Central Railroad. After years of abandonment, it is in derelict condition, but is now owned by the non-profit preservation group, Central Terminal Restoration Corporation. (CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA)

2) São vito, sao paulo

thomaslockehobbs

3) Michigan Central Station, Detroit

wikipedia

The building, located in the Corktown district of Detroit near the recently demolished Tiger Stadium and the Ambassador Bridge about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of downtown Detroit, still stands today, though it remains unoccupied (wikipedia).

4) Broderick Tower, Detroit

Wikipedia

The Broderick Tower is a vacant skyscraper in Detroit, Michigan awaiting redevelopment. Construction began in 1926, and was completed in 1928. The tower was the second tallest building in Michigan when it was completed in 1928. It stands 35-stories tall, with two basement floors. The building is designed with Neo-classical architecture, Chicago school, and Beaux-Arts designs (Wikipedia).

5) Edificio Somallan, Havana, Cuba

glezgayol's photobucket
__________________
"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."-President Lyndon B. Johnson Donald Trump is a poor man's idea of a rich man, a weak man's idea of a strong man, and a stupid man's idea of a smart man. Am I an Asseau?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 3:22 PM
bobjgumby bobjgumby is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Flint, MI
Posts: 66
Happy to say the Broderick Tower in Detroit has just begun the initial stages of renovation. Financing was just closed on last month and there has been daily activity the last week or so.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 3:30 PM
photoLith's Avatar
photoLith photoLith is offline
Ex Houstonian
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pittsburgh n’ at
Posts: 15,476
Theres this art deco tower in downtown Houston thats been abandoned forever, I hope someone comes along and restores it. But, theres no plans at all right now.


photo by me
__________________
There’s no greater abomination to mankind and nature than Ryan Home developments.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 3:49 PM
Steely Dan's Avatar
Steely Dan Steely Dan is offline
devout Pizzatarian
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Lincoln Square, Chicago
Posts: 29,635
Now that the Broderick has received the go ahead for it's conversion to residential (hell yeah!), I think the two most important vacant skyscrapers on the planet are these two dynamite gems in Detroit.

THEY. ABSOLUTELY. MUST. BE. SAVED.



Book Tower:

source: flar from SSP




David Stott Building:

source: flar from SSP
__________________
"Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.

Last edited by Steely Dan; Jan 13, 2011 at 4:05 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 3:59 PM
photoLith's Avatar
photoLith photoLith is offline
Ex Houstonian
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pittsburgh n’ at
Posts: 15,476
Wow, those buildings are absolutely incredible.
__________________
There’s no greater abomination to mankind and nature than Ryan Home developments.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 4:07 PM
Steely Dan's Avatar
Steely Dan Steely Dan is offline
devout Pizzatarian
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Lincoln Square, Chicago
Posts: 29,635
the tallest vacant building in chicago is the 463' randolph tower. however, it is supposed to be undergoing a conversion to residential at some point in the future. the developers have been dragging their feet on this one for years now. hopefully they'll come through.


Randolph Tower:

source: http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=image&id=468014
__________________
"Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 4:57 PM
Evergrey's Avatar
Evergrey Evergrey is offline
Eurosceptic
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 24,339
Ameritrust Tower - Cleveland, OH
Built: 1971, Marcel Breuer
383 ft
29 stories

Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 5:44 PM
CGII's Avatar
CGII CGII is offline
illwaukee/crooklyn
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: rome
Posts: 8,518
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evergrey View Post
Ameritrust Tower - Cleveland, OH
Built: 1971, Marcel Breuer
383 ft
29 stories
The demolition on this was suspended? Nice!

There's another Marcel Breuer building in New Haven that uses a similar cladding system. Ikea bought the site and introduced plans to implode it, but the city insisted it be preserved so now it's just sitting pretty as an abandoned tower in the middle of the Ikea parking lot.


urbanneighbourhood.com
__________________
disregard women. acquire finances.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 5:47 PM
photoLith's Avatar
photoLith photoLith is offline
Ex Houstonian
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pittsburgh n’ at
Posts: 15,476
I cant believe some of these buildings are abandoned, especially that one right in the heart of downtown Chicago, its a beauty. Luckily most of these are too tall to demolish.
__________________
There’s no greater abomination to mankind and nature than Ryan Home developments.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 5:52 PM
Steely Dan's Avatar
Steely Dan Steely Dan is offline
devout Pizzatarian
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Lincoln Square, Chicago
Posts: 29,635
Quote:
Originally Posted by photolitherland View Post
I cant believe some of these buildings are abandoned, especially that one right in the heart of downtown Chicago, its a beauty.
the buildings i've posted (book tower, david stott, randolph tower) aren't abandoned, just currently vacant. that's a BIG difference. and, as i said before, randolph tower does have active plans for conversion to residential, the developers have just been dragging their feet on it for years.
__________________
"Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 5:58 PM
Martin H Unzon's Avatar
Martin H Unzon Martin H Unzon is offline
Editor/Ilustrador/Mod
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Ciudad de Mexico
Posts: 2,766
All those abandoned are Gorgeous, I hope nobody wants to destroy them.
May be The Someillan - Havana is already in use, that picture was (I think)from very months ago when the tower was repaired...

Last edited by Martin H Unzon; Jan 13, 2011 at 7:03 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 6:19 PM
photoLith's Avatar
photoLith photoLith is offline
Ex Houstonian
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pittsburgh n’ at
Posts: 15,476
How does one distinguish between abandoned and vacant? When its vacant are people still taking care of it I guess?
__________________
There’s no greater abomination to mankind and nature than Ryan Home developments.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 8:14 PM
MolsonExport's Avatar
MolsonExport MolsonExport is offline
The Vomit Bag.
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Otisburgh
Posts: 44,716
^Yeah, that is how I see it (maintained vs. unmaintained vacant buildings)
__________________
"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."-President Lyndon B. Johnson Donald Trump is a poor man's idea of a rich man, a weak man's idea of a strong man, and a stupid man's idea of a smart man. Am I an Asseau?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 8:22 PM
Steely Dan's Avatar
Steely Dan Steely Dan is offline
devout Pizzatarian
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Lincoln Square, Chicago
Posts: 29,635
Quote:
Originally Posted by photolitherland View Post
How does one distinguish between abandoned and vacant? When its vacant are people still taking care of it I guess?
more less, yes. think of "abandoned" as michigan central station which is essentially a ruin at this point in time, vs. a "vacant" building like book tower which is maintained to a certain minimal level, but is just currently unused. "vacant" buildings can be brought back to life far, FAR more cheaply than an "abandoned" structure.
__________________
"Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #15  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 8:33 PM
flar's Avatar
flar flar is offline
..........
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southwestern Ontario
Posts: 15,170
Quote:
Originally Posted by photolitherland View Post
I cant believe some of these buildings are abandoned, especially that one right in the heart of downtown Chicago, its a beauty. Luckily most of these are too tall to demolish.
In many cases they aren't suitable for modern offices. These days companies like big open floors. That's why we see so many short and squat glass towers built. The best hope is residential conversion.
__________________
RECENT PHOTOS:
TORONTOSAN FRANCISCO ROCHESTER, NYHAMILTONGODERICH, ON WHEATLEY, ONCOBOURG, ONLAS VEGASLOS ANGELES
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #16  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 8:48 PM
Roadcruiser1's Avatar
Roadcruiser1 Roadcruiser1 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: New York City
Posts: 2,107

This one was abandoned, and never completed. It's called the Szkieletor in Krakow, Poland. In the years there are people that try to reuse or complete the building, but because the land that it sits on is a border between two different owners the building is not being completed anytime soon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szkieletor
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 9:16 PM
Steely Dan's Avatar
Steely Dan Steely Dan is offline
devout Pizzatarian
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Lincoln Square, Chicago
Posts: 29,635
^ in that vein, chicago is also home to this notorious unfinished vacant hulk

the former waterview tower. it was to be a 90 story condo tower, but the developer ran out of money and could never secure a loan to finish the project.



source: me
__________________
"Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #18  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 10:33 PM
Golyadkin Golyadkin is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by photolitherland View Post
Theres this art deco tower in downtown Houston thats been abandoned forever, I hope someone comes along and restores it. But, theres no plans at all right now.


photo by me
This is the one at the corner of Texas and Fannin, right? What did it even used to be?

And to add something to this thread, the two biggest abandoned buildings that I know of:
Michigan Central Station, Detroit:

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Central_Station
and
Sathorn Unique, Bangkok:

source: http://www.6000times.com/2010/04/ban...craper_24.html

Last edited by Golyadkin; Jan 13, 2011 at 10:45 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #19  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 10:55 PM
Roadcruiser1's Avatar
Roadcruiser1 Roadcruiser1 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: New York City
Posts: 2,107
Just saying, but damn Detroit has so many empty buildings. It must be that people are leaving the city, and I read that Detroit has a high crime, and poverty rate.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #20  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2011, 11:07 PM
Tom In Chicago's Avatar
Tom In Chicago Tom In Chicago is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Sick City
Posts: 7,285
I noticed that there were more than a few empty/abandoned buildings in Houston when I was there in November. . . the notable one being already posted here, but there are certainly more of them in the high-rise variety. . . but for some reason they all looked like old hotels from the 1960s. . . weird. . . maybe someone else here knows more about it. . .

. . .
__________________
Tom in Chicago
. . .
Near the day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 7:36 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.