THE ABANDONED, DECAYED AND FORGOTTEN!

NEW, COMING UP!
Wednesday 15-10-2008

Last weekend we did some explorations in Belgium again. We went to a abandoned bus garage covered with dust, a ancient decayed crystalcompany with a lot of handmade crystal, tools and equipment are spread widely on the working tables. And the château Rochendaal on a militairy domain. Be patient, the first gallery will appear soon...

LOCOMOTIVES GRAVEYARD
Sunday 12-10-2008

One year later. Revisited this still beautiful locomotives location. To bad to see that a lot of graffiti did his appearance on the graveyard, as well as for the demolishiner. Revisited this still beautiful locomotives location. To bad to see that a lot of graffiti did his appearance on the graveyard, as well as for the demolishing of windows and lamps. Glass is spread widely over the ground. It looks like railway technicians have taken spare elements with rude force. Giant holes are made with gas burners, large but also small parts are taken away. Ugly scares is all that is left behind.

FORGES DE CLABECQ
Sunday12-10-2008

Les Forges de Clabecq, a 100-year-old family firm run by the last representative of the founding family until 1995, kept out of the regroupings in the Belgian steel industry which occurred at the end of the 1970s. It then still employed 5,000 workers and had its own markets and specific products. The public authorities became shareholders in the 1980s, but left the power of decision with the private shareholders, the families and their banking groups. In 1992, a strike broke out and bankruptcy was declared at the beginning of 1997. Resources were insufficient to pay back the bank loans or pay the legal compensation and the debts owed to the workforce.

At this moment [2008] the Forges are going to be dismantled, prepared for demolition. A lot of the empty storage sheds are already in full demolition. One could spend more then a day to see everthing in detail.

ANNOUNCEMENT

PAST GLORY BOOK PUBLICATION
Summer 2008

This summer i have finished creating and publishing my Blurb book. The book is 138 pages long and includes 149 selected photos from my archive, complete with location history. This is the first book which includes old and more recent explored locations. It can be ordered in soft/hard and dust jacket, in the sizes 25x21 and 33x28. Go to the preview page for a detailed view of the book, the specifications and of course prices!

URBEX BLUE PRINTS
[16X9 FORMAT]
Tuesday 15-07-2008

Something different from the normal photography. A collection of Blueprints and old documents. Most of the blueprints where photographed at Carcoke Tertre, Safea and Central Termica [Mallorca]. The wrinkled papers are from the reconstructed factory Polak and Schwarz.

CENTRAL TERMICA DE ALCUDIA
[ISLAS BALEARES]
Sunday 09-06-2008

The coal-fired power station in Mallorca [Alcudia], is one of the most important examples of industrial architecture on the Balearic Islands. Inaugurated by general Franco in 1957 and built according to a design by the Spanish architect Ramon Vazquez Molezun. It was the first power station that provided electrical energy to Mallorca. It was not located by the sea because of the views, but because the coal shipments arrived by sea. This site has an area of 53000 m2.

For more then 10 years the power station and its surroundings are abandoned and slowly falling into decay. The two tall and impressive chimneys rise above the bay and have become a common reference to the landscape of the Alcudia bay. The reconstruction project ´El claro en el bosque´ is started and will include the factories characteristic of the industrial time. After the reconstuction a museum will be showing how one worked and lived in the industrial colony before the tourists arrived. The building will also have a library and an auditorium. The tanks that lodged the fuel will be transformed into exposition spaces.
The cleaning is started and there was totally no trace of graffiti or vandalism to be found!

SNCB LOCOMOTIVES DEPOT
Saturday 05-04-2008

A older exploration from last year! Located in a heavy industrial area exists this well preserved depot full with abandoned and decayed locomotives. There are about fifty of these 50 tons heavyweight diesel locomotives in the graveyard. In the depot is not much of vandalism to be found.

CHATEAU NOISY / MIRANDA
Sunday 30-03-2008

Hidden into the forests of the Ardennen lies the admirable castle Château de Miranda. The château is built in 1866 and has been designed by the English architect Milner, although the architect died before the building was completed. The castle has had several tasks. During the Ardennen offensive in World War II, the château was briefly occupied by German troops. As from 1950 the NMBS/SNCB (Belgium railway company) has used the castle as a holiday home. It gave shelter to the children, who suffer from worse health conditions. After 1970 it was used for outdoor activities and sport holidays for children and was well known in Belgium. And in October 1975 it served also as film scenery for a TV production. Since 1991 it has became empty, abandoned and is the Chateau Noisy quickly falling in ruins since... When we explored Noisy last august we had to hide several times because of the interruption of hunters. After the 3rd time we decided to leave. And to go back when the hunting season is over!

TRACTION-SUD
[Dereliction of duty]
Saturday 22-11-2007

Inspired by the beauty of the decayed military vehicles on Traction Sud, JAhNoszh has created a series of 2 pieces of art in grungy style. All input comes from the photographed pictures, except for some warning signs. Within a few months image maps of all 2 the artworks will be posted, showing hi-res detailed close-ups! A third creation is still in progress..

CARCOKE TERTRE Imagemap
Saturday 17-11-2007

Could not resist to create a image map for Tertre, showing hi-res details of the artwork. You can imagine what the details will look like printed on full size. Incomparably better than the low-res photos seen on the website. Size= 7050x5880 pix. 118,6 mb.

METEORENWEG [Crunched memorials]
Friday 16-11-2007

METEORENWEG PURMEREND
Sunday 04-11-2007

The largest town renewal project in the history of Purmerend. Six flats of 10 high with in sum 574 houses from early the seventies will make place for in sum 590 apartments. The first two flats are demolished.

TUILERIES DU LITTORAL
Friday 24-08-2007

Located in the Kortrijk area (near the French border, and some 20 miles from Lille) there is a brick and tileworks factory that is almost completely demolished. A lot of elements are destroyed and the big cleanup has left it's traces. It's a matter of time that everything will be gone. Locals have raised objections against the permission to demolish these unique buildings. So far the main building is still standing and for now it looks like the destruction is stopped...

LAEKEN CATACOMBS
Friday 24-08-2007

After more then 20 years of decline the graveyard will receive a large amount of euro's for the restoration of this protected monument. After the restoration it is the intention to open the catacombs for the public once again. Hopefully the restoration will soon start. But one can imagine the works will take some time to keep the origin as close as it was.

BELGRADE CATACOMBS
Friday 24-08-2007

It's not the most daily event to walk the path of a decayed catacomb. Their is a intriguing atmosphere around the place, light beams are shining through small openings in the ceiling. The inscriptions on the gravestones dates back from 1865, to the late seventies.

KASTEEL VAN MESEN
Monday 28-05-2007

Lots of people wants to explore the Castle of Mesen for it's beauty and serenity. As always with a hype, unwanted "guests" appeared on the location with bad intensions. Some folks have no respect for the castle and the local people. Others where caught by the police while stealing parts from the abandoned castle. The conditions are getting more dangerous by the week! Keep in mind that the place is very dangerous and unstable to explore. I've been there for 2 and 5 years ago and just a few weeks back for a reshoot. I can only advise to stay on the ground! It's always the best to watch to large amount of photos on the web!!!

TRACTION-SUD [movie]
Sunday 27-05-2007

Deep into the south of Belgium there is a huge yunkyard full of army trucks and cars fallen into decay. This yunkyard is named "Traction Sud" and is in fact a garage for repair and reconstructing of old vehicles. Besides photography, i have made some movies of the place! The movie is a bit shaky due to the rough terrain and bush around the cars. For every place visited i'm making short movies and will merge and stitch them together, the make one big version! In the second part of this year i hope to switch to a HD camcorder. There is so much more detail to see and a more accurate balance for the light and shade conditions. As you can expect the owner of the yunkyard is not happy with the attraction of urban explorers. It's supposed to stay hidden and covered into the bush. Hopefully the camouflage will do!

CHATILLON PART XL
Sunday 27-05-2007

Finally all of the slides are scanned, cleaned and retouched. The only thing to do, is to prepare the photos for the web. Together with Dimi we explored this well hidden car graveyard. The access to Chatillon was fabulous, the first steps into the wood made us say seamless, WOW! This place rocks! What a atmosphere and so quite and piecefull all together. I think we where the whole morning overthere, all though the weather was grey and rainy. We also found a skeleton, or more a carcass from a fox. The photos are a bit shaky because of the low position to the ground and the missing of light. But i've managed to retouche the photos up. Defenitely worth a second visit!

TOOLS - CARCOKE TERTRE
[in and output movie]
Sunday 27-05-2007

Tools, "The making of Carcoke Tertre" in and output movie. This movie is created with Final Cut Studio and then especially from Motion. The project is very complex due to the many layers [5 Photoshop layered files] with lots of separate original blue print inputs. And lets not forget the mixed audio effects. This audio mixing is new to me, experimenting with all kinds of sound was fun, but difficult! The whole process from lay-out to montage and finishing has taken some 6 or 7 weeks in total. In the near future you can expect to see more of this movies, maybee not so extended as this one. Because 36 MB takes a whole lot of space away. And i'm planning to film at almost every location.