Architecture, history, and archeology lovers, you’re in for a treat! One man’s passion for architecture helped develop a massive community of like-minded people. Welcome to the ‘Lost Architecture’ project, a cozy niche on Reddit carved out by architectural historian Tom Ravenscroft.
The r/Lost_Architecture subreddit has over 133k members following the latest posts that are all about showing some love to interesting buildings that (sadly!) no longer exist. The community is dedicated to documenting how much time changes the world and how even the buildings that we think will seemingly stand forever eventually crumble and wither away. It’s a dive into the past and a journey you don’t want to resurface from any time soon.
To show you just how awesome of an online community it is and how easy it is to fall in love with it, we’ve picked out some of the best photos shared by its members. As you’re scrolling down, going deeper, flipping back through the pages of history, remember to upvote the pics that you liked the most. We’d also love to hear all about which buildings caught your eye and why, so be sure to write us a comment (or two!) at the very bottom of this list.
#1 The Original Neue Elbbrücke Bridge From 1887-1959 In Hamburg, Germany
Image credits: PythiaPhemonoe
#2 Ludgate Hill, London. Late 1800’s. Bombed In Ww2 Replaced With Modern Architecture
Image credits: Jacksbigleg
#3 Built In 1504, Demolished In 1910. What Was The Oldest House In Hamburg, Germany
Image credits: CuriousHedgie
Just last week, on May 25, the ‘Lost Architecture’ project celebrated its 4th birthday. Founded back in 2017, the subreddit has, since then, become a staple for architecture and history lovers who are redditors or simply passing through alike.
The subreddit is pretty much straightforward and only has a tiny handful of rules (which, considering Reddit’s love for long lists of rules as a whole, is fairly surprising yet refreshing). So anyone thinking about posting on r/Lost_Architecture should focus on posting buildings that have been lost (duh!) and avoid before-and-after images. There’s plenty of room on Reddit for B&A’s, but r/Lost_Architecture is not one of them.
#4 Some Indian Temple Ruins And How They Looked In Their Prime
Image credits: sajaypal007
#5 2000 Year Old N6 Pyramid In Sudan Which Was Demolished In The 1800’s By An Italian Treasure Hunter
Image credits: DontEatTheChapstick
#6 “It’s Not Possible To Take Such A Photograph Anymore, As The Buildings Outside Block The Sun Rays.” Grand Central, NYC (1929)
Image credits: reddit.com
Architectural history itself is the study of buildings in their historical context. What the historian focuses on depends on their interests: some put all of their energy into the conservation and preservation of buildings while others see education—whether at university or through other means like traditional, digital, or social media—to be their calling.
These architectural historians are people of many, many talents. They have to know a bit about a wide range of subjects, ranging from architecture and history (obviously) to archaeology, art history, engineering, sustainability, and building design.
#7 Buddhas Of Bamiyan 6th-Century,the Statues Were Blown Up And Destroyed In March 2001 By The Taliban, On Orders From Leader Mullah Mohammed Omar
Image credits: Son_Of_Earth
#8 The Saltair Pavilion 1900-1925
Image credits: seaboigium
#9 Medieval Town Of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. Once One Of The Most Picturesque And Pristine Late Medieval Towns In Europe. Destroyed On March 22nd, 1945, One Month Before The War's End
Image credits: Strydwolf
Studying architectural trends and styles, placing building innovations into their proper context, and determining how everything changes over time and in different geographical locations are all an architectural historian’s bread and butter.
After all, the way in which buildings are built, what materials are used, what the aesthetics are, and how quickly they’re replaced by different styles altogether can tell us a lot about the particular time period, as well as the mentality and philosophy of the locals.
#10 Times Square (1919) Before All The Renovations And Billboards
Image credits: Mob-bine
#11 Izumo-Taisha Honden, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Though The True Appearance Of This Shrine Is Not Known, These Artistic Renderings Are Based On Archaeological Evidence Of Giant Pillars And Historic Records Stating That The Building Was Raised On A 48 Meter Tall Platform. Stood C. 900-1200
Image credits: archineering
#12 The Old Dutch House In Bristol, England. It Was Constructed In 1676 But Was Destroyed During The Bristol Blitz Of 1940 By The Luftwaffe
Image credits: ForwardGlove
The founder of the subreddit, Tom, currently lives in London and works as the editor of Dezeen. He got his master’s degrees in architectural history from both the University of Edinburgh, as well as The Bartlett. In other words, architecture and design are his lifeblood. And his passion is evident in the ‘Lost Architecture’ project.
#13 Petrikirche In Berlin | Built In 1853, Destroyed In 1945 By The Bombing Of Berlin
Image credits: rasierterpopo
#14 Warsaw, Poland 1939. No Need To Say What Happened Here. Truly A Tragic Loss
Image credits: superdomodo13
#15 Old Detroit Library In Detroit, Mi. Opened In 1877 And Demolished In 1931
Image credits: Romanzo71
#16 Towers Of Bologna, Italy. Built In The 12th Century. Over Time They Were Demolished And Others Collapsed. Only 2 Remain Today
Image credits: BiggelsonWiggelson
#17 Interior Of The Ss Normandie. 1935 -1942. Destroyed In An Accidental Fire During Refurbishment For Military Service
Image credits: CrotchWolf
#18 Ruins Of The Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
Image credits: Hereforart1
#19 Sibley Breaker, Pennsylvania, Built In 1886 And Destroyed By Fire In 1906
Image credits: archineering
#20 Cincinnati Public Library 1871-1955
Image credits: Penjilum
#21 Old San Francisco City Hall Completed In 1899. It Was Destroyed In The Infamous 1906 Earthquake Which Destroyed Most Of The City
Image credits: ForwardGlove
#22 Imperial Palace At Constantinople, 12th Century
Image credits: CountHonorius
#23 Loew's 72nd Street Theater: 1932-1960; A Far Eastern Extravaganza, And Possible The Last Truly Grand Movie Palace To Be Built
Image credits: reddit.com
#24 St. Ludwig Monastery - Netherlands. Completely Demolished In 2015
Image credits: mdelint
#25 Scale Models Of Four London City Gates (Moorgate, Newgate, Aldgate, Cripplegate). All Demolished Between 1761 - 1770
Image credits: pseudangelos
#26 Casino Theatre, New York City, Designed By Francis Kimball And Thomas Wisedell In 1882 And Demolished In 1930. The Theatre Was The First In New York To Be Lit Entirely By Electricity, Popularized The Chorus Line And Introduced White Audiences To African-American Shows
Image credits: archineering
#27 The Armenian Cemetery Of Julfa Had Around 10,000 Elaborate Funerary Monuments Called "Khachkars," Dating From The 9th To 17th Centuries. In 1998 And 2006 The Azerbaijani Government Destroyed Them All
Image credits: bush-
#28 The Royal Opera House In Valletta, Malta (1911). Built In 1866, It Was Destroyed In World War II From A Direct Hit By Luftwaffe Bombers
Image credits: gurdijak
#29 Times Square During The Postwar Boom. Very Little Remains
Image credits: imoldfashnd
#30 Chicago Town And Tennis Club. Built 1924. Demolished 2020, Despite A Private Offer To Move The Building To A Chicago Park. Future Site Of A Dormitory
Image credits: ThanHowWhy
#31 This Playground Equipment
Image credits: happinessmachine
#32 Sir Paul Pindar's House, London, England. Built In 1599, Demolished In 1890 To Make Way For A Train Station- Though Part Of Its Facade Was Preserved By The V&a Museum
Image credits: archineering
#33 The Hotel Netherland (NYC) Photographed In 1905 And Later Demolished In 1927
Image credits: Novusor
#34 "UFO" McDonald's In Cambridgeshire, UK. (1990-2008)
Image credits: yellownugget12
#35 Colored Photographs Of Rotterdam Before The German Bombings
Image credits: mdelint
#36 Lost And Rediscovered
Image credits: woodyman_
#37 Castelinho De Ipanema, Rio De Janeiro. Built In 1904 And Demolished In The 60's Due To Urban Speculation. One Of The Few Buildings In Moorish Style In Rio
Image credits: HootieTootie_
#38 Kowloon Walled City: This Former Military Base Turned Into China’s Tightest City, It Was Demolished In 1994
Image credits: rufuselging
#39 Colored Photograph Of Dresden, Germany (1890) Before The Bombing Of 1945
Image credits: mdelint
#40 Victorian Downtown San Francisco C.1880's, Before The 1906 Great Earthquake & Fire
Image credits: Fiscal_Yam
#41 The Palace Of Coudenberg In Brussels, Belgium. Built 1100 - Demolished 1774
Image credits: simmermayor
#42 1800s Painting Of Vienna. The City Would Dramatically Change Its Appearance Later In The Last Part Of The 19th Century
Image credits: Educational_Coach_27
#43 Times Square, NYC In 1905. Everything Seen In This Photo Is Doesn't Exist Anymore
Image credits: IhaveCripplingAngst
#44 Sacred Heart Church, Vernon Ct. Built 1971 And Was Condemned Then Demolished In March 2019
Image credits: fysh
#45 First Point Bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Built In 1877, The Structure Proved Costly To Maintain Due To Unstable Foundations; It Was Replaced By A Larger Bridge In 1925
Image credits: archineering
#46 Sir Walter Raleigh's House In London, Demolished To Make Way For The Blackwall Tunnel In 1890
Image credits: reddit.com
#47 Krestovsky Water Towers, Moscow, Russia. Designed By Maxim Geppener In The Late 19th Century, Demolished In 1939 During The Expansion Of The Motorway
Image credits: archineering
#48 Omaha City Hall, Nebraska, 1890-1966
Image credits: BiggelsonWiggelson
#49 Waterworks Park Water Tower, Detroit Mi, Built In 1876, Closed In 1941 And Demolished In 1945
Image credits: CrotchWolf
#50 Gardo House, Salt Lake City, Demolished 1921
Image credits: apollei
#51 Gillender Building, New York City. Completed In 1897 And Razed In 1910
Image credits: BiggelsonWiggelson
#52 Dr. Saidman's Solarium, Aix-Le-Bans, France. Built In 1930 As An Experiment In Heliotherapy, The Building Consisted Of A Rotating Platform Of Cabins Which Turned To Face The Sun. It Was Destroyed In Ww2
Image credits: archineering
#53 The Singer Building In 1965, Lower Manhattan, New York, Just Three Years Before Its Demolition. Built In 1900, It Was The Tallest Building In The World For A Short Period Of Time At 205 Meters (674 Ft)
Image credits: superdomodo13
#54 Rossiya Hotel In Moscow, Russia. Built In 1967 Demolished In 2006
Image credits: iamcountrysider
#55 Zabłudów Synagogue: Built In The 17th Century, Poland. The Wooden Synagogue Was Burned In 1941 By The Nazis
Image credits: jewish_tricks
#56 Nanepashemet Hotel, Marblehead, Massachusetts: Shingle Style, Opened In 1881, Lost To Fire In 1914
Image credits: sverdrupian
#57 A "Mexican House" In Meudon, France
Image credits: Nat-ass
#58 Federal Coffee Palace: Built In 1888, Melbourne Australia. A Coffee Palace Was A Hotel That Did Not Serve Alcohol. The Melbourne Location Was Demolished In 1973
Image credits: jewish_tricks
#59 Old Post Office Building In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Built In 1892, Demolished In 1966 For A Parking Lot
Image credits: IhaveCripplingAngst
#60 Knox County Poorhouse - Burned In 2015 And Demolished A Year Later
Image credits: Fugacious_Simmer
#61 Chicago’s Illinois Theater: 1900-1932 One Of The City’s Most Prestigious Theaters, It Was Closed For The Depression And Never Reopened. Demolished For A Parking Lot, A Commercial Skyscraper Now Stands In Its Place
Image credits: booberryyogurt
#62 Anz Bank Chambers, Christchurch, New Zealand. Designed By Clarkson And Ballantyne In 1907, Severely Damaged In The 2011 Earthquake And Subsequently Demolished
Image credits: archineering
#63 Florenz Ziegfeld Built, Financed By William Randolph Hearst. Designed By Joseph Urban And Thomas A. Lamb. It Became A Movie House In 1933 Until 1944 And Returned To Legit Theatre. In 1955, Nbc Used As Television Studio Until 1963
Image credits: imoldfashnd
#64 Lost Buildings From Villages In The Pacific Northwest, Late 1800s
Image credits: Giraffeikorn
#65 World Trade Center. New York City, USA. Built In 1973, Destroyed In 2001
Image credits: timbob27
#66 I Took An 1898 Edition Of The California Architect And Building News And Found As Many Of The Houses In San Francisco As I Could On Google Maps
Image credits: viktor72
#67 The Late 3rd Century Tetrapylon Of Ancient Palmyra, Syria. Deliberately Destroyed By Isis, 2017
Image credits: pseudangelos
#68 An Unusual Citibank That Existed During The '80s. Demolished By '94, Now A Parking Lot
Image credits: Conpen
#69 The Original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel In NYC, Demolished In 1929 To Serve As The Site For The Empire State Building
Image credits: bunboog
#70 The Last Image Of The Centuries-Old Jain Temple Being Demolished In 1992 In Lahore, Pakistan
Image credits: 13Ath13
#71 Ever Wondered What The Flatiron Building In NY Replaced?
Image credits: ForwardGlove
#72 Temple Of Gwalior, India. Destroyed During The Islamic Invasions
Image credits: shivajiii
#73 A Street In St. Louis That Doesn’t Exist Anymore
Image credits: goharvorgohome
#74 Bowhead House, Edinburgh, Scotland. Built In The Early 1500s, It Was Demolished In 1878. Many Locals Mourned The Loss, Having Regarded The House As One Of The Most Distinctive Relics Of The Old City
Image credits: archineering
#75 Sir John Soane's Bank Of England, A Maze Of Ruin-Inspired Spaces Designed In 1788. It Was Replaced By A Larger Structure In The 1920s, And Is Today Considered By Many To Be London's Most Architecturally Significant Lost Building
Image credits: archineering
#76 Los Angeles C. 1928, Nothing In This Picture Still Stands
Image credits: moose098
#77 This Crane Stood Atop The Unfinished Cologne Cathedral From 1511 Until 1868
Image credits: Vancouvermodsaregay
#78 Nahavand Castle In Nahavand, Iran. Built During The Sassanian Era (224–651 Ad), It Was Demolished In The Late 1800s Because The Shah Believed There Was Treasure Hidden Underneath
Image credits: bush-
#79 When The Singer Building Ruled Over Lower Manhattan. Much Is Gone
Image credits: imoldfashnd
#80 Old Town Of Nuremberg, Germany - Once Perhaps The Largest Preserved Medieval Urban Ensemble North Of Alps - Completely Annihilated In Just 25 Minutes By The Raf Air Raid On January 2, 1945
Image credits: Strydwolf
#81 "Moskva" Swimming Pool. Built In Place Of Demolished Church Of Christ The Savior In 1960, Demolished In 1994, Replaced With Restored Christ The Savior Church
Image credits: CepGamer
#82 Temples Of Bacchus And Jupiter In Baalbek, Lebanon - Once One Of The Largest Classical Ancient Roman Structures Built Outside Of Rome Itself
Image credits: Strydwolf
#83 The Last Surviving Timbered House In Dublin, Demolished In 1812
Image credits: WilliamofYellow
#84 Not Lost Just Yet But 417 Park Avenue In NYC Is About To Be Demolished To Be Replaced With A Towering Glass Office Building. It’s Not A Super Well Known Or Notable Building But It’s Always Caught My Eye. It’s One Of The Last Brick And Mortar Apartment Buildings That Far Down On Park Ave In NYC
Image credits: RhodeIslandJerry1958
#85 Original Mayan Revival Interior Of Detroit’s Fisher Theater, Located In The Iconic Fisher Building. Built In 1928, The Interior Was Sadly Gutted In The 1960’s And “Modernized”
Image credits: booberryyogurt
#86 The Original Light Court Of The Rookery Building, Chicago. 1886-1905. Parts Of This Are Still There, But Hiding Beneath The Renovation By Frank Lloyd Wright, Where They May Remain Hidden
Image credits: MCofPort
#87 Salt Lake City Brewing Company, Utah (1912). Demolished Around The Late '30s - Early '40s
Image credits: BiggelsonWiggelson
#88 Oceanfront Mansions In Sea Bright, Nj. Color Pictures Taken By Steve Brown In 1968. Years Of Demolition Unknown
Image credits: fabulousfigurine
#89 Being Demolished At The Moment: Chapelle De Saint Joseph, Lille, France
Image credits: poyventu
#90 A Miniature Replica Of The Old Thai Royal Palace... The Palace And The Entire City Of Ayutthaya Burned Down During The Burmese Invasion Of 1767
Image credits: DayangMarikit
#91 Gold Pyramid House, Wadsworth, Illinois. Built By The Onan Family In 1980, Heavily Damaged By Fire In 2018. The Property Also Has A 50-Foot Statue Of King Tut, A Metal Palm Tree, And A Four Car Garage Topped By Three Smaller Pyramids
Image credits: archineering
#92 St. Louis In The 1870s. Blue Indicates The Only Buildings Still Standing
Image credits: goharvorgohome
#93 None Of The Buildings In The Foreground Exist Today
Image credits: ForwardGlove
#94 Osborn Hall, Yale, 1890-1926
Image credits: eldersveld
#95 Medieval City Wall Of Kano, Modern-Day Nigeria, West Africa. Majority Of It Is Gone Due To Population Increase, Erosion And Insufficient Conservation Efforts
Image credits: AScandalinBohemia
#96 Raleigh House, North Carolina, USA, Designed By Eduardo Catalano In 1954. Demolished In 2001 After Several Years Of Disuse
Image credits: archineering
#97 Apartment Building At Humlegårdsgatan In Stockholm, Sweden. New Zoning Plans Prohibited Apartments At The Street, Which Forced The Tenants Out And The Demolition Of The Building In 1966. It Was Replaced By A Seven-Story Office Building
Image credits: fulmaria
#98 Athens Municipal Theatre, Greece. Built In 1888 And Demolished In 1940
Image credits: Juggertrout
#99 Speculative Rendering Of The Temple Of Jupiter Capitolinus, The Oldest And Most Important Large Temple In Rome. Built In 509 Bc In An Etruscan-Influenced Style, Destroyed By Fire In 83 Bc
Image credits: archineering
#100 These "Unknown" Photos Of Pre War Dresden Really Show Off How Beautiful The City Was. All Structures In These Photos No Longer Exist
Image credits: ForwardGlove
#101 Leaning Tower Of Zaragoza, Spain (1504-1892). Demolition Justification: Ruinous State And Inclination. A Statue Of A Child Looking Up To Where It Stood Stands Near The Site Today
Image credits: SkylineReddit252K19S
#102 Penn Station Before It Was Redone! Torn Down In 1963
Image credits: Red_Vader26
#103 Palais Du Trocadéro 1878-1936
Image credits: imoldfashnd
#104 The Old Prussian City Of Konigsberg, Germany (Now Kaliningrad, Russia) Before It Was Destroyed In The Second World War (Colorized). Look At What The City Looks Like Now And Its Depressing. Nothing Much Except The Main Church Remains From These Photos, The Rest Is Lost To History
Image credits: ForwardGlove
#105 Horticultural Hall, Boston (1865-1901): Neoclassical Design, Top Floor Was A Grand Exhibition Hall With 27' Ceilings
Image credits: sverdrupian
#106 Grand Entrance, Exposition Universal, Paris, France. 1900 Paris World's Fair
Image credits: TogderNodger
#107 Pretty Much The Entire Neighbourhood Of Pocitos In Montevideo Was Slowly Bulldozed To Make Way For Mid And High Rises, Luckily There Are Tons Of Photo Archives From Its Golden Age, Here's Some Photos
Image credits: MenoryEstudiante
#108 The National Theatre , Singapore (1963-1984)
Image credits: reddit.com
#109 The Elisabeth Bridge Built In 1903 Budapest, Hungary. It Was The Longest Single-Span Bridge In The World At The Time And An Engineering Marvel. Following The Retreat Of German Forces From The City In Ww2, It Was Blown Up In The Morning Of January 18, 1945. Replaced In 1964 By A Modernist Bridge
Image credits: superdomodo
#110 Can't Even Fathom What This Once Was
Image credits: ARTofDiNoandDART
#111 Hannover, Germany Water Works. Almost Untouched By The Ww II Bombing Raids. Demolished 1963/4
Image credits: Fubushi
#112 The Short-Lived Chapel Of Margaret Island In Budapest, Hungary. Built In 1905, Damaged In Ww2, Later Demolished Despite Suffering Relatively Minor Damages
Image credits: superdomodo13
#113 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The Only Non Wtc Building Destroyed On 9/11. The Building Was Constructed In 1832 As A Private Dwelling But Was Then Converted Into A Tavern. In 1919 It Was Converted Again Into A Greek Church. After The Collapse Of The South Tower, It Was Completely Buried
Image credits: ForwardGlove
#114 Pennsylvania Station, New York City (1910-1963). Demolished To Make Way For Madison Square Garden
Image credits: RealityPizza
#115 St. Nikolai Church / Hamburg (Germany), Gothic Revival, Tallest Construction In The World Until 1877, Bombed In Summer 1943 By Royal Air Force. The Ruins Continue To Serve As A Memorial For The Victims Of War And Nazi Terror
Image credits: biglior
#116 Old Trinity College, Toronto. Build 1852. Expanded 1877, 1882, 1894. Abandoned 1925. Fire Damage 1929. Demolished 1956
Image credits: TC19041925
#117 120 William Street, The Last Building Extant From When New York City Was A Dutch Colony Called New Amsterdam. Built In The 1600s, It Was Finally Demolished In The Mid-1800s
Image credits: reddit.com
#118 Grand Interior Majestic Theatre Columbus Circle
Image credits: imoldfashnd
#119 Nothing, I Repeat, Nothing In This Photo Of Midland Beach In Staten Island, New York Remains. Torn Down Probably Before Wwi, Any Building That Did Survive Was Severely Affected By The 1938 Hurricane, Economic Hardship, Or General Stagnation Of The Area When The Borough Became Residential
Image credits: MCofPort
#120 Rivergate In New Orleans (1968-1995), Designed By Curtis & Davis
Image credits: SteakbackOuthouse
#121 Old Warehouses Of Holländischer Brook In Hamburg, Germany - Once Part Of The Largest Concentration Of Mixed Commercial-Residential Houses In Europe
Image credits: Strydwolf
#122 Bremen - "North German Lloyd" Head Office. Damaged In Ww2 And Demolished In 1968
Image credits: rouen-ds
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