Friday 30 January 2009

Abandoned




Today I am bringing you images of some interesting looking abandoned buildings. The way these have been shot are quite beautiful in some instances and make you wonder why they haven't been snapped up by some savvy investor to be reinvented and reused as some luxury accommodation.

Well here is your answer. The pictures above are from San Zhi, Taiwan. It is abandoned city in the North of the country and was initially intended for luxury accommodation. However during the construction of these pod like apartments, there were several fatalities.

The government funded project was then halted due to lack of funds and the entire project was brushed under the carpet due to the unusual amount of deaths during site construction. The government wanted to be seen as far away from it as possible to avoid bad press.

An aerial view of the site can be seen here



The above photograph (car) was taken in Centralia, Pennsylvania where an underground coal fire has been burning for years, deeming it an unsafe area to live in. Quite an amazing story:

"Johnathan Faust opened Bull’s Head Tavern in Centralia in 1841, and Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. An exposed vein of coal ignited in 1962 thanks to weekly garbage burning, and as a result a huge underground coal fire commenced. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the carbon monoxide produced.

In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas station reported a fuel temperature of 172 degrees Fahrenheit (77.8°C). This provoked widespread attention, boosted in 1981 when a 12-year-old almost plunged to his death as a 4 foot wide, 150 foot deep sinkhole suddenly opened beneath his feet. In 1984, $42 million was spent on relocation, with most residents moving to the nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland. In 1992, Pennsylvania condemned all houses within the borough, meaning that of the 1,000+ residents in 1981 - only a handful now remain - mainly priests. The fire still rages on, and according to experts could do so for another 250 years."

Source: listverse.com

Photograph above with stained glass was taken in Pripyat, Ukraine which had been home to most of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. the place was abandoned due to threat of radiation after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The city will not be safe for human habitation for several years to come, and even then it will be a long time before people consider it healthy to develop once again.

Top 10 Abandoned Places

Thursday 29 January 2009

The Man Who Couldn't Open Doors


Paul Arden unfortunately passed away last year. But he was and still remains, a great asset to the design world. His book
It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be is my personal bible. Full of inspiration and feel good factors, it helps you through creative uncertainty and gives you the positivity you need to go the extra mile.


Interestingly enough, I discovered that Arden made a film called The Man Who Couldn't Open Doors. This I feel is in the same vein as his bestselling book and something that is very relevant to my experiences at the moment. I am looking for a job after the company I worked for went into liquidation just before Christmas. This is exactly what I am trying to do: open doors.

In this industry it is not easy, many of these metaphorical 'doors' being firmly closed to new graduates and inexperienced newcomers. And in the current economical job drought that we find ourselves in, in Britain, it is much more difficult to cut the mustard...which I just googled and ironically is a graphic design agency! Showing how flooded the market already is.

The short film that Arden produced is beautifully shot, with a great soundtrack and a strong art house suspense to it. A good measure of humour is also thrown in which I find always helps with the witty narration. Enjoy it for yourself below.



Cinematographer: Alex Thompson
Director: Paul Arden
Written by Bo Fowler.