There is something about an old abandoned factory that compels me to come inside. It was a bright, sunny [and uncharacteristically warm] afternoon and there was nothing else to do, so I found myself standing in front of a fence with a “Building unsafe, no entry allowed” sign posted on it. Normally, I am a law abiding citizen, but the tumbled down buildings with the walls of broken windows and stacks of ruined, decaying machinery beckoned me to slide through the hole in the fence with my handy digital camera.
What was once a vibrant place of production is now slowly falling in on itself. The tall brick walls with shattered arched windows and the rows of clerestory windows in the steel beamed ceilings let in shafts of light over the piles of debris and broken shards of glass that sparkled on the floor. There was some evidence of habitation in one of the large rooms. A punching bag with a shiny new chain hung from a standpipe, and a scattering of old chairs and a makeshift table stood nearby. Several ramps had been constructed, ideal for biking or skating. There were shelves with stacks and piles of still organized pieces of machinery. In one section of the building, the second story had given way. A bathroom hung in mid-air, the toliet still attached to the floor which now hung at a near 90-degree angle.
Your imagination can tend to run wild with all the possibilities that a building such as this could offer. I can imagine a vibrant club – with huge dance floors, a fantastic restaurant with multiple level seating and balconies, enormous windows, mixed with an art gallery or theatre, perhaps a coffeeshop or bookstore as well would make it a place like nothing else in this area. It would take a phenomenal amount of money to achieve, but … it is fun to dream.