Badass Buzludzha

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I wouldn't blame anyone for wondering why I'm writing about UFO's now, because that's honestly the first thing that came to mind when I saw this photograph taken for National Geographic. 

It is unfortunately not a UFO, but rather the Budludzha Monument in Bulgaria. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere too....

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So anyway....this monument. Yes. It was opened in 1981, after 7 years of construction, by the communist government of Bulgaria to commemorate the secret meetings to establish an organised socialist party in 1891, and designed by architect Guéorguy Stoilo. It has unfortunately been left to ruin now and is in pretty bad condition. For a better idea of what it looks like inside (because I know I couldn't get my head around the first photo the first time I saw it), here it is in normal weather conditions.

The ceiling reads "Proletariat of every country, unite!"

The building also boasts work by 20 of Bulgaria's foremost artists of the time, the interior surrounded by mosaics of ideological figures like Lenin, Stalin and Bulgarian members of the socialist movement:

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Opened only in 1981, it really is in quite a terrible state, but for an idea of what it once looked like, there are these photos (the last being taken during construction):

Buzludzha History

Somewhat hard to imagine when looking at the state of it now! It is a shame to let such a wonderful monument fall to ruin (this is going to be a main theme throughout this blog!), but every year there is a socialist gathering here, and with any luck, there may be some movements to try and preserve what is left of this amazing place. 

There will be plenty more posts on socialist style buildings in the future, as I find it quite fascinating. It has the strange quality of being so damn ugly and brutal that it is really quite pleasant to look at. A seeming contradiction!

C. M. Forbes House, Portland, Oregon

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So my Pinterest has gone crazy the last week or two with people liking and repinning the picture of this amazing house, and I can't blame them because I could look at this house all day. Honestly, LOOK AT IT.

Built in 1887 in the Queen-Anne style for C. M. Forbes, a partner in a furniture store, and later owned by Graham Glass. The above photo was taken in 1892 by the way.

An old postcard of the house

There is unfortunately very little information on this house, but, and it pains me to say, it was demolished sometime in the 1930's or so. And just to make life a little more hard, it was replaced by a high rise. It is extremely sad that such a building was demolished (as are so many), and I'm sure that the fact that there is photographic evidence makes it all the more tragic, but hopefully more effort can be put in to saving buildings like this in the future. I hope you have a great Thursday midnight while I cry in bed while clutching a photo of this house. Well... that got depressing fast. 

A photo of King-s Hill. The top of the Forbes House can be seen on the left.

Madrid!

Seen as I spent a lovely weekend in Madrid last week, and saw some really beautiful architecture, it would only seem obvious to write a post on some of the buildings! The Metropolis Building (we're sticking with the Metro(-) theme it would seem), which I saw on the stupid tour bus and was tempted to leap out at.

The Metropolis Buildnig was designed by Jules and Raymond Février for the insurance company La Unión y el Fénix after the company launched an international competition for the design of their building in 1905. Construction started in 1907, and the building was completed in 1910. In 1972, Metrópolis Seguros took over the building and replaced the the statue of Phoenix with their own familiar statue of Victory:

The architecture is French Beaux-Arts Style, with very ornate pillars and statues adorning the outside. Basically, it's feckin' nice!

Hotel del Salto, Colombia

source: mostbeautifulpages.com

Ever since I first saw a photo of this place, I've been trying to find some more information on it. Because...well, look at it! If you haven't already become completely entranced by this place, then there's something wrong with you (or maybe there's something wrong with me? Quite possible).

This abandoned hotel overlooks the Tequendama Falls in Colombia, 30km from the capital. The building was first constructed in 1928 as a private mansion, designed by Carlos Arturo Tapias. The hotel opened in the 1950's, catering to visitors to the falls, as it offers a pretty amazing view, sitting right at the edge of the cliff, as you can see from this photo:

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Unsurprisingly, there were rumours that the place was haunted, because it looks like the perfect set for a horror film. The hotel was unfortunately closed in the 90's due to water contamination. 

Source: Curious History

Thankfully, the hotel has now been turned into a museum, photos of which can be seen here, and it will hopefully be conserved for as long as possible. 

The Metropole, Cork

I'm one of those people who will slow down walking to stare dumbly at a building for as long as possible. I've no idea where I got my love of architecture (especially opulent styles, preferably built before the 20th Century - the older the better), but it has turned into a slight obsession. So, here I am going to post photos and info on buildings that I get a boner from looking at.

Source: www.tripadvisor.com

The first is The Gresham Metropole on McCurtain St in Cork - every time I drive down the street I can't help but stare and try not to knock someone down. I love the windows and the turret and the red brick.
The Metropole was designed by Arthur Hill (born in Cork in 1846) and was opened in 1897. Originally, the ground floor was reserved for shops (two of which remain). The building was extended in 1910, where Hill added the corner tower along with the ceramic tile.

The Metropole pre-extension, c. 1900. Source: corkpastandpresent.ie

You may also be able to recognise other Arthur Hill buildings around Cork, for example the Crawford Art Gallery and the Crawford School of Science and Art. And I'm not really sure, but possibly the corner building on Bridge Street, the one with the red brick turret.