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Abandoned Buildings: Photographer shows us a glimpse of the end of the world

What will happen to the world when we're no longer here? All that we've created and built – schools, hospitals, museums, homes?

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All images courtesy of Christian Richter. Via Creative Boom submission.

All images courtesy of Christian Richter. Via Creative Boom submission.

Will they fall so easily to ruin? Overtaken by nature and quickly turned to dust? What a depressing thought to ponder on a Monday morning, but this kind of scenario has always fascinated me.

For German photographer Christian Richter it has become a bit of an obsession. He loves to travel across Europe in search of forgotten corners, where he can spend a happy hour or two wandering through abandoned spaces and capture everything that's happened to them. Whether they be factories, hospitals, old concert halls or derelict cinemas – he loves to discover how time and nature place their impact on our once-loved architecture.

Documenting the crumbling and dusty rooms, corridors and stairwells – and using the best available natural light – Christian has a particular talent for spotting appealing patterns and colours – sharing the beauty in the bittersweetness of the decaying buildings.

If you love this genre of photography as much as I do, then visit www.richterchristian.com to discover more of Christian's work, or follow him on Instagram where he regularly shares some of his new abandoned finds.

Deteriorated corridor inside an abandoned train carriage with peeling yellow ceiling, weathered windows and tiled floor stretching into darkness
Spiral staircase in an abandoned building, viewed from above, with peeling paint in shades of yellow, green and brown, and weathered steps disappearing into darkness below
Decaying grand interior with ornate arched ceiling, peeling blue paint, crumbling brick walls and scattered debris on the floor
Weathered library archive shelves and carousel storage system filled with aged books and documents covered in dust and moss
Dilapidated concert hall interior with ornate ceiling featuring turquoise and pink panels, peeling plasterwork, debris-covered floor and deteriorating stage
Rusted and corroded nested metal trays or heating elements stacked inside one another, covered in dust and weathered patina from years of abandonment
Deteriorating corridor with arched brick ceiling, peeling paint and tall barred windows in an abandoned European building
Ornate hallway with decorative ceiling, faded yellow walls, white columns and deteriorating balustrades leading to a staircase in an abandoned building
Derelict cinema interior with peeling red ceiling, wooden panelling, hanging pendant lights and boarded-up windows showing decay and abandonment
Dilapidated interior with a curved metal staircase, peeling walls, debris-scattered floor and an arched window casting light through the abandoned space
Ornate wooden staircase with decorative wrought iron railings descending into shadow, with a checkered floor visible below in an abandoned building
Weathered piano keys covered in dust and grime, showing signs of years of abandonment and decay
Spiralling staircase with ornate handrails descending into shadow, photographed from above in an abandoned building with peeling yellow and green paint
Dilapidated concert hall interior with peeling red ceiling, ornate columns, rows of arched windows and abandoned seating on a dust-covered floor
Abandoned interior with a rusted metal railing in the foreground and a wooden spiral staircase visible through a doorway beyond crumbling walls
Ornate stucco ceiling with classical reliefs looms over an abandoned room with mint-green walls, tall arched windows and a bare concrete floor
Derelict cinema interior with rows of deteriorating brown seats facing a dilapidated stage, peeling wallpaper and crumbling ceiling covered in decay and debris
Abandoned library with overgrown floor, decaying wooden ceiling framework and shelves of scattered books lining deteriorating walls
Derelict industrial interior with crumbling brick walls, metal grating floors and spherical machinery stretching into shadow beneath a skeletal ceiling structure
Dilapidated medical room with peeling blue tiles, surgical light fixture, abandoned dental chair and scattered debris across the floor
Ornate abandoned cinema interior with decaying seats, supporting columns and a grand circular ceiling featuring art deco detailing and skylights
Dilapidated cinema interior with decaying arched ceiling, peeling paint, rusted metalwork and a central staircase descending into darkness
Decaying cinema interior with rows of deteriorating brown seats facing a stage with faded orange and red walls and a grimy suspended ceiling
Decaying interior of an abandoned building with yellow-painted walls, ornate column, grand staircase and weathered wooden doors showing signs of age and deterioration
Abandoned hospital room with turquoise tiled walls, dusty floor and a tilted examination table near windows and doorways
Deteriorating indoor swimming pool with empty blue basin, red-painted changing cubicles and arched colonnade in abandoned building
Abandoned ornate ballroom with decorative ceiling, grand doorways and patterned floor, illuminated by daylight from a torn fabric covering an opening above
Abandoned neoclassical interior with crumbling stone columns, arched doorways and a rusted metal cart on dusty floor
Decaying neoclassical interior with ornate columns, peeling walls, worn tiled floor and metal railings flanking a central staircase
Derelict hospital or institutional bathroom with tiled walls, deteriorating fixtures and pillars, dust covering the floor and peeling yellow-green paint on the walls
Spiral staircase with blue metal railings descending into darkness, its steps covered in patterned carpet and surrounded by weathered walls in shades of gold, grey and burgundy
Dilapidated interior of an abandoned building with peeling wallpaper, exposed wooden beams, deteriorating furniture and a broken window letting in natural light
Weathered wheelchair with large metal wheels sits abandoned on a dusty floor inside a dilapidated wooden structure
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