Vacant and/or Abandoned Skyscrapers

[MolsonExport]

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

[bobjgumby]

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.

[photoLith]

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

[Steely Dan]

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

[Golyadkin]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

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

[Roadcruiser1]

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.

[EuphoricOctopus]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

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.

The David Stott Building and the Book Tower are vacant as of last year due to bad ownership. Had nothing to do with population or anything else. Most likely they will be converted into residential in a couple years.

The Michigan Central Station was a product of no one really riding trains anymore and the wonderful Amtrack system. (Abandoned in 1988) Also, it is owned by a shitty owner.

[Roadcruiser1]

The building by Texas, and Fannin Streets. It's on Google Maps, and Street View. The building is actually called the Texas Tower. It was built in 1931. It is actually the last art deco building built for Houston. It's original use was as commercial office space. There are a total of 21 floors. It's height is around 315 feet tall. The building is vacant. It's best to convert it into an apartment or condominium building, because if it becomes a hotel it would compete with the Magnolia Hotel right across the street. I wished I had the money though. If I did that building would be an apartment building.

http://www.emporis.com/application/?...houston-tx-usa

Here is proof

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by photoLith

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

Saw this thread was revived. Well they are in the process of destroying this Art Deco gem in Houston. So very stupid considering there are hardly any historic buildings left to begin with in downtown Houston.

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Saw this thread was revived. Well they are in the process of destroying this Art Deco gem in Houston. So very stupid considering there are hardly any historic buildings left to begin with in downtown Houston.

Meh. Already mentioned on the previous page. Would've been nice to see them restore it and build around it, but it was stripped from its cool architectural details in the 70's anyway. I really like the replacement. We have many vacant buildings in downtown being restored right now.

[photoLith]

Wow, those buildings are absolutely incredible.

[Steely Dan]

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

[Evergrey]

Ameritrust Tower - Cleveland, OH
Built: 1971, Marcel Breuer
383 ft
29 stories

[CGII]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

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

[photoLith]

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.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

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.

[flar]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

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.

[Roadcruiser1]

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

[Steely Dan]

^ 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

[Martin H Unzon]

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...