Organic Urban Renewal

In a country of 1.3 billion people, space is at a premium and crowds abhor a vacuum.  And a vacuum cleaner, but that is a subject for another post.  Or 10.  Where were we?  Yes, urban space.

You don't find empty lots in Indian cities.  There's plenty of construction going on, plenty of houses that have been torn down and bigger footprint apartments and offices rising as replacements.  Demand is outstripping supply and there's just no time for land to remain fallow.

Perhaps due to arcane real estate rules or people holding out for windfall sales prices, there's no shortage of buildings left to ruin.  There's no need to maintain a building unless the dollars say so.

Here are examples of typical buildings that are biding time until the wrecking ball appears.  What makes them and other similar structures interesting is their proximity to modern (or at least newer) buildings all around them.

Another building, in the throes of "natural" urban renewal.  The tree growth is busy doing its slow job of bringing the house down.

Our favorite (albeit sad) example of a fading building.  This apartment is in a commercial area of Bangalore, being aggressively neglected, naturally.  One can pause and imagine the building in its glory many years ago. The little balconies, the Asian influenced dormers, the nice roof balustrade.  It's a shame there's no surrounding historical district to save this fine fellow.