A Concluding Remark

Abandoned places are seen in every country on the planet. From ancient ruins to modern homes all have fallen victim to time and neglect. These beautiful monuments of humanities ability to build and design functional and habitable forms of art are slowly disappear from the earth as countless have already. Hundreds of Britain's stately homes have disappeared in the last century and many are soon to follow, these buildings are neglected year after year as families are reluctant to give up control to organizations that could save them.

A decaying building has beauty in itself, it shows the progress of change and renewal as the past is forgotten in favour of the future. It also reminds us what has been lost and what can never be again. They serve as a constant reminder that nothing is forever.

Lost in Time

For over 70 years this small Paris apartment sat, its front door locked hiding the treasures within. The apartment belonged to a women named Marthe de Florian who was once a french actress. However at the outbreak of World War II she was forced to flee her apartment to southern France with the inevitable Nazi occupation of France. However after the end of World War II Madame Florian did not return to her apartment but instead remained in southern France and it wasn't until her death in 2010 that her heirs hired a professional team to evaluate the contents of her apartment, one in which she hadn't visited in 70 years yet had paid the rent for until her death. 

The apartment sits as it was left, a time capsule of pre War World II France. The glamour of a young and popular French actress in all its splendor. What amazed the team evaluating the apartment was however a painting and group of love letters on one of the tables, these love letters were written by a famous French painter named Giovanni Boldini who was once in love with Marthe de Florian. The painting on the table was of Marthe de Florian herself by Giovanni Boldini. This painting would later sell for over $3 million. 

The reasons why she never returned to her apartment isn't clear, but it offers a unique look at life in Paris at the turn of the war and an almost unbelievable story of a lost painting and unknown muse. Hidden and forgotten this painting sat, not even known to the art community to have ever existed. The world is full of forgotten treasures just waiting to resurface.

End of the Line

Michigan Central Station was once a bustling hub of one of America's most prominent industrial cities however its golden age has long passed. Built in 1912 the station was the tallest train station in the world upon completion. The upper floors were office spaces while the lower floors housed restaurants, arcades, and ticket offices for passengers embarking and disembarking on the trains. Built far from the city with the expectation that development would be encouraged by its presence, the structure became an icon.

Success first came with the start of WWI in which more than 200 trains departed daily from the station and over 4000 passengers a day. Even with the end of WWI the station saw hope in the purchase of nearby land by automotive tycoon Henry Ford who would build many factories increasing the communities growth and traffic. WWII also brought money through the station as once again trains left often shipping material to the war effort and ports. However upon the end of WWII the stations glory came to an end.

Cars became the preferred mode of travel however Michigan Central Station had no large parking facility and was unable to incorporate the demand. This cut off the station from most of the downtown leading to a large decrease in traffic. The station was eventually closed in 1988 when the last train departed and upkeep costs of the building were considered to high to keep the facility open. Today it sites abandoned and decaying from vandalism and the presence of homeless people due to the recent recession. The site is a national heritage site and the city is in discussion as to what should be done to save the structure. The state of the building is decaying rapidly and the city finally decided to replace the windows and roof in 2011, this should save the building from further decay until planned renovations and restoration can be done.

Power Corrupts

Pripyat may be one of the most famous abandoned places in the world. A soviet era city built to house the family and workers of the infamous Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. At its prime it had once held around 50 000 people and had 21 schools as well as hospitals and community centers, becoming a thriving city. However life here would come to an end over the course of three days. Starting with the terrible night of April 26th 1986 when Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had a melt down causing an explosion which released radioactive fallout across the entire city forcing its evacuation three days later.

The city is a time capsule located in the Ukraine however still bears the symbols of the Soviet regime that built it. Towering symbols of the communist era and murals still grace the walls of schools and community centers promising a brighter future for the USSR. Serving as a reminder that even the mightiest of countries are not guaranteed to be here tomorrow. The city also reminds us that nature was here first and we are the ones invading its home, once we leave it is quick to reclaim what was lost. Nature will always return if we leave, it is resilient and determined and does not fall victim to the radiation that plagues the land.

Today Pripyat is a popular tourist attraction, the radiation having lowered to the point of safety. The town can be seen with all its books and furniture in place. The people were told they had to leave, many thinking the situation would be handled and they would return home. However this would never come to pass and anything left behind was impossible to be reclaimed and now site were they were left that fateful day in 1986.

A Legacy of Ruin

This castle located in Celles, Belgium was once known as Miranda Castle however today sits vacant and decaying. The locals call it Noisy Castle after the children s home that once was housed within the elegant structure. How such a stately home could fall to ruin and despair is similar to how many of Britain's and Frances state homes share, the lose of money in family dynasties. The family that owns Miranda Castle is a once prominent family, Liedekerke-Beaufort. They had been forced to flee France during the French Revolution leaving behind their castle there and settled in Belgium where in 1866 they commissioned the construction of Miranda Castle by one of the most famous English architects named Milner. 

The family lived a life of luxury and prominence for many years to come however with the outbreak of World War II the home was taken over by the National Railway Company of Belgium which turned the home into a children s home for the family of workers. The castle remained in the possession of the company until 1980 when the children s home was closed and the castle returned to its original owners. 

The house has been empty since 1991 due to the lack of financial ability to maintain the aging building. The municipality of Celles, in which the home is located, has offered many times to take Miranda Castle from the family and restore the structure to preserve what many consider one of the last of Belgium's state homes. The family however has refused to this day in hopes of keeping the castle in the family and restoring so that the dynasty may occupy its halls once again. Tragically this has allowed the castle to fall into complete despair and the money required to repair damages is astonishing high that it most likely will never come to pass. The castle has fallen victim to several arson crimes and vandalism with many young locals trashing the building and causing it to fall to the point of beyond repair. The structure will most likely be condemned in years to pass unless the family sells the home to someone who has the money to save it. Miranda Castle is a shadow of a long forgotten era that will crumble till its only a memory and then nothing at all.

A World Away

The Nicosia International Airport was once the primary airport on the island of Cyprus however today sites in a derelict state. The airport was originally opened by the Royal Air Force of Britain however began accepting joint civilian flights to the island in 1948 which soon became a booming success and the airport had to be expanded several times over the next few decades to accommodate the increased traffic. The military eventually left the site due to the need of space by the commercial sector. Plans were being made to expand the airport again in June 1974 to accept the largest of commercial airplanes at that time.

Unfortunately these plans would never be carried through as Greek nationalists ousted the president of Cyprus in July 1974 which forced the airport to close and not to reopen until the 18th of July 1974. Tourists and foreign nationals panicked as they tried to secure passage off the island until on the 20th of July 1974 when Turkey invaded Cyprus and bombed the airport closing it permanently. Since that day the airport has remained closed to civilian traffic.

Today the airport is the main base of operations for the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces in Cyprus and is located in the buffering zone between the sides of the island controlled by Turkey and the Greeks. The once bright future of the island as a tourism hub was cut short by the tragedy of a war that has left the island and its people divided. Airports are a symbol and gateway to the world, they are the first and last thing most people see when visiting a country, however the gates of Nicosia International Airport may have been closed for good.

Beauty Forgotten

Union Station Ottawa

Ottawa went from being a small logging town to the nations capital suddenly and this meant Ottawa had a bright future in store. However the city was lacking in almost every necessity of a capital city and it wasnt long before a proper train station, known as Union Station, would be built right in the heart of Ottawa a short distance from Parliament Hill. Union Station served for years welcoming incoming trains of foreign dignitaries and even royalty and sits today on the iconic Confederation Square, just across the street from the famous Chateau Laurier. Construction was completed in 1912, the same year as the completion of the Chateau Laurier and stood a monument amongst the smaller petty buildings from before the government moved to the city.

 The inside of Union Station is full of towering columns and arched ceilings with windows two stories tall. The halls are replicas of the roman baths of Caracalla. The grandeur of this station has not been enough to save it however and due to the issues of trains running through downtown, it wasn't long before the station was closed and condemned to be demolished in 1966. Luckily the federal government purchased the structure to be the center piece of the 1967 centennial celebrations in the city and later converted it to a convention center for government use. It held the G20 as well as many other foreign heads of state in years past however sits today empty and as an abandoned status building due to the construction of the new convention center in Ottawa.

 The future of the building isn't clear as proposals to add it to the new transit system fell through when the government refused to sell the structure. No plans are currently on the table for the building and this iconic ottawa building is still in danger of falling into neglect in the coming years. Union Station still has no heritage status despite being over 100 years old and sits on some of the most valuable real estate in the city. Fears of potential buyers who would demolish the site is a possibility especially if the building becomes damaged due to neglect in the following years. Only time will tell exactly what has in store for this beautiful structure, for now its future is anything but certain.