Abandoned Store | Right angle edifice In Green Ridge, Missouri On the Katy Trail at Mile 239.2 |
D erelict structures, tumbled-down shanties, vacant stores, worn out streets, and deteriorated sidewalks – all attract me like a moth to flame. Old deserted buildings of all varieties are fascinating wherever they exist. Studies of these objects reveal the details of another time and stimulate speculation. Exactly how and why do formally thriving establishments become discarded to time and decay?
An intriguing aspect of the life of any building is the relentless progression of change. Most buildings go through many phases of adaptation and modification. Surprisingly, some deprived and neglected buildings tend to last. Their presence validates that they have been through a process of evolution, but also demonstrates they remain part of that process. They are not yet dead, but are still evolving as vacant, ignored, and decomposing reminders that chaos prevails.
“Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must come from old buildings.” - Jane Jacobs
