Completed in 1971 in Oxford, United Kingdom. The Queen's College Florey building is the third and last building of “The Red Trilogy” (the Leicester Engineering Faculty building and the...

Best viewed on black.

Hello after a short technical break i had, hope you didn't miss me :) And now for something completely different.. Very pleasant road trip executed...

Explore Dave Robbo 84's 10 photos on Flickr!

When you’re looking for an abandoned adventure, you don’t typically expect to find them right in the middle of a major European city, much less inside what one of the most important and official buildings of the last five centuries. But for the past 20 years, urban explorers in Antwerp have had the very surreal opportunity of…

The future of the Irish border is one of the key issues of the Brexit negotiations. Because of its sensitive history, there are fears over what might happen if a hard border and checkpoints returned.

The only private residence built in California by the organic master Bruce Goff is also his powerful testament, a masterpiece of space and form.

A labyrinth of books, the comic section, the first edition vault, (literally, it was inside an actual vault), the artist studios, and a rare book room were just a few of the places we explored duri…

Misty hills. Lonely forest roads. Plenty of vines, moss, and unkempt trees. And the cherry on top—a gorgeous abandoned building that radiates eeriness and grandeur in equal measure. That’s our dream home right there. Especially if the place looks haunted.

Milan Cathedral - Building began in 1386 and the last details of the cathedral were finished only in the 20th century: the last gate was inaugurated on 1965.

If you've been on Facebook any time in the last few months, chances are you've seen someone post this photo, usually accompanied by the challenge of, "Would YOU live (visit/spend the night/etc.) here?" If the creep factor didn't bother you, you'd probably weigh the benefits of living that close between two tracks...and decide that no matter how historic or beautifully haunting the little home looks, its not worth it! But, how much do you REALLY know about the building in this photo? It probably doesn't surprise you, but this isn't a home that has survived the march of progress to be nestled between two tram tracks...its actually a tram station! Well...it WAS. From what I can gather, I BELIEVE this particular station is the Little Pest Depot, located in Budapest Hungary. Built in 1887, the depot once serviced the country's horse-drawn tram network along the Zugligeti Road, a main thoroughfare. The pictures above and below were taken post-1896 when the city installed its first electric railway system. From WikiPedia This particular depot serviced the 58 tram, and thus, was known as the 58 Tram Depot. It was eventually taken out of service in either December of 1976, or early the following January. Unfortunately, vandals and the elements have taken their toll on this unique building, which was already creepy enough 100 years ago! Here's a modern look at the old tram stop, with many, many more recent photos from the Zugligeti Reality post on the Merites website: More Info

From Blade Runner to GTA V, part of what makes blockbuster movies and video games so immersive is the incredible visuals. Even though it's made up, the scenery looks so real, so palpable, it's as if you're almost there. Sometimes, however, you are. If only for a moment.

A fascinating glimpse of England's landscape, buildings and people through the last 150 years

Nothing is immune to the wear and tear of time. From precious childhood teddies to the floors we walk on - the mark of life long-lived is present in everything. Some of the worn-down items on this list might make you wonder, “why didn’t they replace it earlier?!”. But these cool photos represent more than everyday use, and they are living reminders of stories that must have happened over the period of time. If only they could talk…

The last days of summer creep toward a violent climax... Seiichi's family begins to fall apart in the wake of his cousin's "accident," but nothing compares to the mental and emotional torture he undergoes...

I had gotten off the Ohio Turnpike on the last exit going east to get gas when I spotted this unlikely abandoned house near the gas station. I think it is early twentieth century but looks like something you would find in an upscale suburb of the 1920's. The barn following was on the property. I have intended to try to find it and get better pictures. Recently I ran across a set by jeffdoolittle4, taken about a year ago. It doesn't seem to have changed much except for a little more deterioration: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffdoolittle4/2979002825/in/photos...

Peter Mitchell worked as a truck driver in Leeds in the 1970s, photographing the city during his rounds. These fascinating portraits of factories and small shop owners in Yorkshire and London are found on his website Strangely Familiar

Research has modelled in detail a historic and deadly tsunami. The most accurate computer models suggest it devastated landmasses.

Abandoned. …Near the village of Braschaat, outside Antwerp, Belgium. The last photo shows a grotto-like cave under the mansion that may have been used as a bar in the past.

Strange Beauty

Upon William Henry Vanderbilt's death, he left his side of the Vanderbilt triple palace in New York City, which he had built for him and his daughters, to his youngest son George Vanderbilt. Upon George Vanderbilt's death it was to pass to George's eldest son, if he had a son. George Vanderbilt died without a son, so the Vanderbilt mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue, along with $1 million, passed to the eldest son of the eldest son of William Henry Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt III and his wife, Grace Wilson. Neily, As Cornelius Vanderbilt III Was Called, Was The Handsome Son Of Cornelius Vanderbillt II, Who Disinherited Him Because of His Marriage To Grace Wilson Grace Wilson Vanderbilt, Of The "Marrying Wilsons", Would prove Them All Wrong And Succeed Them All As The Last Mrs. Vanderbilt Neily had been disinherited by his father, who disapproved of Grace and her family. Since Cornelius didn't like Grace, none of the Vanderbilts did and she was shunned by the entire family. Not even Neily's stern mother, Alice, who was considered a saint, would see them. The only Vanderbilt who would talk to them was Neily's uncle, William Kissam Vanderbilt. "Why, It's The Back Hole of Calcutta" Grace Exclaimed Upon Entering The Mansion "I Couldn't Possibly Live Here" At Grace's desiring, Neily quickly had plans drawn up for major alterations to the mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue. Once done, he turned the plans over to famed architect Horace Trumbauer, who would carry out the renovations. The cost of the renovations would total to $500,000, which at that price the newspapers commented "For that amount, as fine a private home as the average wealthy man could wish for could be built in the most exclusive residential part of the upper east side" Horace Trumbauer (middle) Had Done Numerous Commissions For Several Of The Super Wealthy, Such As The Wideners And The Stotesburys Once Completed The House Was One Of The Most Luxurious And Grand Homes In All Of New York City 2 years later the house was ready for occupancy and the Vanderbilt's immediately opened the house with a large ball. The exterior had been completely stripped of most of it's decorative features and the home had been expanded in the back. The most obvious addition was the large, one story entrance pavilion. Grace Always had A Red Carpet Rolled Out From the Entrance Pavilion To Greet Arriving Guests And Lead Them Inside The interiors had been completely gutted, the only thing salvaged was the large, malachite vase that had stood in the original entrance vestibule. The new interiors included on the ground floor a marble-lined hall, two dressing rooms, a three-story great hall, a ballroom, music room, dining room, family dining room, library, art gallery and the red and gold ante room. The second floor held Neily and Grace's private master suites, each with their own bath and dressing room, Grace's pink boudoir, Neily's private sitting room and sound proof laboratory, the breakfast room and the children's rooms. The next two floor held the guest rooms, guest sitting rooms, bathrooms, dressing room and the female servant's rooms. The basement held the male servant's rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and other service rooms. The Stone Steps In The Entrance Pavilion Led Up To The The House, A Portrait of The Commodore Greeted The Guests The Great Hall Held The Large, Malachite Vase That Had Been In The Original Vestibule Before The Renovations The French Ballroom Could Hold 500 People And Was Used At Least Once A Month For Balls, Events or Parties The Music Room Had A "Parquet De Versailles" Floor That Was Considered Too Beautiful To Cover Up The Art Gallery Held The Art Collection That William Henry Vanderbilt had Spent His Life Collecting The Library, Which Held Barely Ant Books, Was Where Grace Had Tea Every Morning, Around The Room Were Pictures Of The Famous People Grace Had Entertained The French Dining Room Had A Table That Could Extend Out To Hold 50 People, All At Once, At One Of Grace's Many Dinner Parties The Family Dining Room Was Where The Family Had Their Private Meals On The Rare Occasion That They Weren't Entertaining, The Paneling Had Come From Their Original New York City Townhouse By the time the house was completed, Grace had already been recognized as the new Queen of New York City Society, replacing Mrs. Astor, who had died back in 1908. Grace began to host several balls and dinners during the New York City season. An invitation to her house, would secure social success. Every year, at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House, Grace's arrival was always the one most looked forward to. Her box at the Met was located on the famous first tier of boxes, the famous "Diamond Horseshoe" as it was called (Mrs. Astor had always claimed that the "Diamond Horsehoe" had been named after her famous 200 stone diamond necklace, which she had always worn at the opening of the opera). The Opening Night At The Metropolitan Opera House Was The Highlight Of The New York City Social Season Shortly after they moved into the Vanderbilt mansion, Neily began to realize the mistake he made, sacrificing a fortune for a pretty face, because once a pretty face was gone, it was gone. Grace began to grow uglier and uglier with the years. She began to grow white hair early in life and she left it alone, except for dying it a special Chinese Tea. She began to gain weight from all the French cooking at her dinners and, because servants did everything for her, she did absolutely nothing to lose weight. Grace Vanderbilt At The Opening Of The Metropolitan Opera House, Which She Never Missed, Always Receiving Guests In Her Private Box Grace had a very organized schedule, which was, one ball a month, two large dinner parties a week and smaller dinners and brunches daily. At Grace's dinner parties were the usuals: Berwinds, Goelets, Hammonds, Aldrichs, Burdens, Harrimans and Biddles. At her large dinners there was normally around 100 people, most of whom Grace scarcely knew, but at her small dinners of normally 50 people, Grace knew everyone there. Pictured Above Is One of Grace's Small Dinner Parties, In Attendance That Night Were Mrs. Winthrop Aldrich, Sir And Lady Cadogan, Mr. And Mrs. Hammond, Rep. Joseph C. Baldwin (R-NY), Madame Deprez And J. Watson When in Newport, Grace rented "Beaulieu" cottage, formerly the home of John Astor III and William Waldorf Astor, which she later purchased. It was at "Beaulieu" that Grace gave her first major party, where she had the play "The Wild Rose" come to Newport and perform for her guests. "Beaulieu" Cottage Was Right Down The Street From Neily's Parent's Cottage, "The Breakers", Which Was Still Occupied By Alice Eventually Alice excepted Grace and Neily, although the relationship was frosty. Alice, who was considered one of the most wealthiest women in the world, began to help Neily and Grace out financially, which they needed. Frosty Alice Had Worn Nothing But Black And Pearls Every Since The Death Of Cornelius Vanderbilt Grace also wanted a yacht, like her sister May Goelet, and she had Neily commission a large boat, which they called "The North Star", named after Cornelius Vanderbilt I's yacht. The yacht was fitted with the finest materials and included a drawing room, library and dining saloon. Each Year, At Grace's Urging, The Vanderbilts Sailed "The North Star" To Those Ports Where They Would Most Likely Be Seen By Royalty To escape his wife and the entertaining that she brought with her, Neily joined the army. World War I proved to be his finest hour. Neily also developed horrible habits of smoking and drinking regularly. He was quite mean to his son, who claimed he liked Neily better when he was drunk than when he wasn't. Neily Became Known As "The General", Something Grace Was All Too Pleased To Call Him In Front Of Guests Neily also thought he might like to enter politics, so he attended the Republican National Convention in Saratoga Springs, although he realized it was too expensive for him saying "Look I may be a Vanderbilt, but I am not a Rockefeller!" Most of the time, Neily just retreated to his other yacht, the Winchester. The "Winchester", Which Neily Had Purchased From Vincent Astor, Was Mostly Paid For By Alice And Neily's Sister Gertrude Whitney While Neily would be sailing around on his yacht, Grace would be back in New York City entertaining . Every year at the New York City mansion and "Beaulieu", Grace would be entertaining up to 10,000 people a year. Every night at dinner parties, Grace would have a red carpet rolled out across the sidewalk to lead the guests inside. Greeting guests inside, she would be beside two footmen in livery, welcoming them inside. Although she hated the press, they loved her. She was mostly photographed at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera. Grace Vanderbilt Never Missed The Opening Of The Metropolitan Opera House, Not Until Her Death Would She Ever Miss One When Alice died in 1934, she left Neily the Gwynne Building in Ohio and about $7 million, if it hadn't been for her money, Grace and Neily would have been broke. Grace and Neily were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on parties, jewelry, taxes, clothes, food, servants and numerous amounts of other things, although this didn't stop Grace. Grace Arriving At The Opera With Her Three Famous Signatures: The Bandeau or "Headache Band"On Her Head, Her Diamond Stomacher And The Famous Silver Fox Wrap When Grace and Neily's son, Neil, announced he would be working as a newspaperman, they promptly kicked him out. Neil had had an unfortunate childhood, Grace had been a distant mother and Neily had wanted nothing to do with his children, so he was not surprised when they kicked him out. Neil Vanderbilt Would Go On To Be Married Very Many Times, Much To The Disapproval Of Grace While Grace was entertaining and mixing with royalty, the world around her was changing. Over time the residences around the 640 Fifth Avenue mansion had been replaced with large skyscrapers and soon the 640 Fifth Avenue mansion became lost in a sea of skyscrapers. The Other Side Of The Vanderbilt Triple Palace Was Getting Ready To Be Torn Down And Replaced With A Large Apartment Building Slowly they came down, one by one Vanderbilt Row disintegrated and soon only Grace and Neily's aunt, Florence Twombly, were left. 640 Fifth Avenue became a shrine of a bygone era, the only private residence left on that side of town. In The Middle Of A Sea Of Skyscrapers Was Grace Vanderbilt And Her Imposing Mansion, 640 Fifth Avenue When Neily died, he left an estate of $4 million. Grace inherited $2 million and $900,000 to his two children. It had turned out that shortly before his death, Neily had sold 640 Fifth Avenue to developers to raise money. Under the terms of the agreement Grace would get to remain at 640 Fifth Avenue until two years after Neily's death. Grace continued to entertain just as lavish as she always had, hosting her last ball in 1941. Finally she too had to give up. The Movers Came And Packed Up The Large Art Collection, Which Was Being Given To The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Along With The Malachite Vase The Vanderbilt Mansion Under Demolition, 600 Workmen Instructed To Tear Apart 640 Fifth Avenue, The Last of It's Kind The Great Hall Of The Mansion Was Completely Torn Apart, Not One of It's Decorative Features Saved Grace Vanderbilt moved to another New York City townhouse, which was now in the heart of the fashionable district, which had formerly belonged to William Starr Miller, Grace called it "The Gardener's Cottage" because it contained only 28 rooms, compared to the 85 rooms at 640 Fifth Avenue. The William Starr Miller Mansion, Which Grace Bought For $800,000, She Regally Brought Her Butler And Her Bathroom The William Starr Miller Mansion Today, Surrounded On All Sides By Skyscrapers, Which Tower Over The Mansion It was at the Miller mansion when Grace passed away with her family by her side, worrying if the money would last. Grace once said "Poor Marie Antoinette, If the Revolution ever came to America I would surely be the first to go"

Explore HMAMoane 11's 641 photos on Flickr!

When you’re looking for an abandoned adventure, you don’t typically expect to find them right in the middle of a major European city, much less inside what one of the most important and official buildings of the last five centuries. But for the past 20 years, urban explorers in Antwerp have had the very surreal opportunity of…

The Siena International Photo Awards only started in 2015 but it has quickly become one of the world's most impressive annual photo competitions. This year’s winners affirm that prestigious position with a spectacular assortment of images spanning everything from architecture to photojournalism.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser or with his born name, Friedrich Stowasser, was an austrian painter and artist, 1928-2000. He is probably the best known european artist today and his last project was t…

When Brand identity expert David Brier ran across this manifesto on manifestos, his creative juices started to flow. But your help is needed to fill in the final word.

About The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors “This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.” With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’ s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history. In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James D. Hornfischer’s Neptune’s Inferno . Praise for The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors “One of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years, this book follows in the footsteps of Flags of Our Fathers . . . . Exalting American sailors and pilots as they richly deserve. . . . Reads like a very good action novel.” — Publishers Weekly “Reads as fresh as tomorrow’s headlines. . . . Hornfischer’s captivating narrative uses previously classified documents to reconstruct the epic battle and eyewitness accounts to bring the officers and sailors to life.” — Texas Monthly “Hornfischer is a powerful stylist whose explanations are clear as well as memorable. . . . A dire survival-at-sea saga.” — Denver Post “In The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, James Hornfischer drops you right into the middle of this raging battle, with 5-inch guns blazing, torpedoes detonating and Navy fliers dive-bombing. . . . The overall story of the battle is one of American guts, glory and heroic sacrifice.” — Omaha World Herald

In celebrating the last day of November 2011, I wanted to introduce you to a very special man who I admire. His name is Edward James. I’ve known about Edward for several years now since I lov…

Besides eating bamboo leaves I like all kind of oddities. Being bored of usual buildings I have traveled the world (with the help of Internet) and found 50 strangest and most extraordinary churches in the world, and I'm kind enough to share it with you.

What's this? An easy Sally costume that you can put together for Halloween or cosplay? Skip the costume store and make a custom Sally dress with patchwork pieces of fabric. Mark the dress with black paint to look like stitches and pair...

The last Frank Lloyd Wright house to be built was constructed on Petra Island in Lake Mahopac, NY. Finsihed in 2009 the house took 4 years to build. Originally designed in the 1950 for the previous owners of the island, it was not constructed at the time the drawings were commissioned. The island's new owners (the Massaro family) got permission from the Wright institute to use the plans and finally build the house that was designed specifically for the spot on which it now stands. the house was informally dubbed "the whale" in honor of the massive rock formation (which looks like a whale) on which the house is perched. More info can be found at the following links: www.apple.com/pro/profiles/heinz/ nymag.com/homedesign/greatrooms/37252/ nat-envir-sun.blogspot.com/2007/09/massaro-house-as-frank... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massaro_House

The Grand Orient Express was one of the most luxurious trains in the world when it began service back in the late 1800s, but by 2009 passenger trains were quickly becoming a thing of the past.So the Grand was left to rot in a trainyard in Belgium after taking its last trip in December, 2009, which is surprising consider how famous and important that train was in its day.Equally surprising- how nice the interior of the Grand looks even though it has been virtually left to the elements, a decadent steel co...

Every day there are untold stories of people surviving via luck, training or just the power of will. Even when it seems utterly impossible.

in gstaad, switzerland, douglas gordon and morgane tschiember have created a monumental land artwork that uses fire, smoke and sound.

While walking through the Jonas Winter Storm that swept across the East Coast last week, photographer Michele Palazzo captured this incredible shot of the Flatiron Building against a backdrop of swirling snow. With the exception of a few minor details like logos and a food cart, the image looks like an impressionist painting right out of another another century. The cloudy atmosphere and gusty winds create patterns that appear uncannily like brush strokes. You can see more of Palazzo’s shots from the morning of January 23rd on EyeEm. More

Light beams pick out dust suspended in the air at a chateau in Belgium. On its last legs this place.