One of the virtues of iconic structures like the Colosseum of Rome or the Pyramids of Giza is that they managed to withstand the test of time for millennia. Even today, visitors can walk among these iconic architectural masterpieces and admire them in their glory firsthand. Sadly, we cannot say the same about the majority of the structures we’re about to show you.
Damaged by war, destroyed by fire, or foolishly demolished, these structures were not so lucky. Nevertheless, we believe that their opulence and beauty can and should be admired and remembered, even if we can only do so through paintings and photographs.
1. The original Neue Elbbrücke Bridge in Hamburg, Germany (1887-1959). The two gothic towers were destroyed during the widening of the bridge.
2. The glorious Cincinnati Public Library (1871-1955). The structure was torn down to make way for a more modern building.
3. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th-century statues of the Buddha in Afghanistan. The statues were destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban.
4. The splendor of the building is partially lost because the surrounding buildings block the natural light - the Grand Central Terminal in New York City (1929)
5. This 2,000-year-old pyramid in Sudan was demolished by an Italian treasure hunter in the 1800s.
6. The gorgeous interior of the SS Normandie (1935 -1942), a famous French ocean liner. It was ruined by an accidental fire that broke out during the ship's refurbishment for military service.
7. The capital of Poland - Warsaw - before World War II (picture taken in 1929)
8. The Castelinho De Ipanema (1904-the 1960s) in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, was one of the very few buildings in the Moorish style in the city. It too was sadly demolished.
9. The city of Dresden pre-WWII. None of these buildings survived the war.
10. The Old Dutch House in Bristol, England (1676-1940). Yet another landmark that was blasted to pieces during WWII.
11. The eclectic Bowhead House (c.1500-1878) in Edinburgh, Scotland was demolished despite being regarded as one of the most distinctive buildings of the Old City by many.
12. The Hotel Netherland (1892-1927) in New York City photographed in 1905. It was later replaced by the Sherry Netherland Hotel.
13. The Saltair Pavilion (1900-1925) was once a resort on the bank of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The building was destroyed by a fire.
14. The Medieval town of Hildesheim was one of the beautiful Late Medieval towns In Europe. The entire town was destroyed just 1 month before the end of WWII on March 22, 1945.
15. This was once the oldest house in Hamburg, Germany. It was built in 1504 and demolished in 1910.
16. Palais Du Trocadéro (1878-1936) in Paris was torn down to make way for the Palais de Chaillot.
17. The beautiful Old Detroit Library (1877-1931) was demolished to clear up space for a new library building.
18. The Crapo Building (1891) in Bay City, Michigan, was rediscovered and restored after 50 years of being covered by a bland metal facade.
19. The Tetrapylon of Ancient Palmyra in Syria dated back to the 3rd century. The Ancient Roman theater was destroyed by ISIS in 2017.
20. The Original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The building was demolished in 1929 to be replaced by The Empire State Building.
Share these beautiful structures with those who love history and architecture!
