In this installment of Unique Commercial, we showcase projects that ended up being abandoned due to poor conception.
New South China Mall – Dongguan, China
Built in 2005, the New South China Mall has has been 99% vacant since its opening. The mall has 2,350 available spaces and approximately 7,100,000 sq ft of leasable space. Due to its poor location, within a suburb only accessible by car or bus, it has been unreachable by a large portion of the public. The mall features seven zones modeled after famous international regions.
Ryugyong Hotel – Pyongyang, North Korea
It is currently the 3rd tallest hotel, with 105 floors, but no one has stayed there. Major construction stopped in 1992 and it still has not been completed as of today. The building has been nick named the “Worst Building in the World”, “Hotel of Doom” and “Phantom Hotel”.
Wonderland – Chenzhuang, China
Located just outside of Beijing are the remains of what was to be the largest amusement park in Asia. Construction stopped in 1998 when the project faced financial problems with local officials. Most of the buildings that were constructed are still standing, including the main castle. Most of the land is being reclaimed by local farmers to grow crops.
Sitges Terramar – Catalonia, Spain
Funded by a local race hero and millionaire, this purpose built racetrack was opened in 1922. This oval track had two high banked turns angled at more than 60 degrees! The track ended up closing its doors to financial troubles and again during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. It has since been closed down, chained up, and barricades have been placed throughout the track to prevent any driving or racing.
Ciudad Real International Airport – Ciudad Real, Spain
Currently for sale at $150 million, this facility was once Europe’s longest runway at 4,400 meters. The original intent of its construction was to attract new business’ to the open real estate surrounding the airport, but due Spain’s economic recession at the same time of it opening, the airport never took off.
Sanzhi Pod City – New Taipei City, Taiwan
What appears as UFO’s are actually “Pod” houses in New Taipei City Taiwan. The “Pod” homes were constructed as part of a vacation resort for US military officers coming from their East Asian postings. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned to due financial losses. Built in 1978, the site was demolished in 2008 with plans to redevelop the area for tourism.
Michigan Central Station – Michigan, United States
The Michigan Central Station was the main passenger depot of Detroit in 1913, facilitating over 200 trains through its platforms each day during its prime. The last train pulled away from its platforms in 1988, where it was finally shut down. It faced many financial hardships, including the Great Depression and expensive maintenance.