40 Incredible Abandoned Structures

Published April 30, 2014
Updated October 3, 2019

Evocative of our own limits, these abandoned structures provide us an opportunity to consider our place--however temporary--in the world.

A building is never just that. It can be a place we call home, a repository for memories, an intimate space where we share even more intimate ideas; it’s one of the ways we as people lay physical claim to the world in which we live.

And just as a building is more than its material components, the same can be said for a building in shambles. Evocative of our own limits, mortality and time’s dominion over all, these abandoned structures provide as much aesthetic interest as they do opportunities to consider our place–however temporary–in the world:

Czestochowa Poland
Abandoned Structures In Paraguay
Beelitz Operating Room
Beelitz Hospital
40 Incredible Abandoned Structures
View Gallery

For more photographs of abandoned structures and places, visit our posts on abandoned photographs, abandoned Detroit, and desolate and deserted former Olympics sites.

author
All That's Interesting
author
Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.