Abandoned Entertainment Buildings
Abandoned entertainment buildings such as former nightclubs and skating rinks are always great fun and make for amazing photography. They’re usually large, vast derelict sites with many rooms and floors to explore. However, they are also the types of buildings to be inhabited by squatters for some reason. Perhaps it’s because buildings created for entertainment are usually built out of concrete rather than wood, which makes the structure more safe and secure for squatters to set up their home in.
World-class graffiti is also something you might find in an abandoned entertainment building. For example, the Batman nightclub in Thailand has been donned from ceiling to ground in amazing artwork. Word is graffiti artists from all over the world were invited to make their mark inside the crumbling building. Go there and you will feel like you’re walking through an art exhibition, not a former nightclub!
The Abandoned Space Roller Rink in Chiang Mai, Thailand
After being in Chiang Mai for less than 24 hours, I found myself standing inside an eerie relic of the past – an abandoned roller-skating rink that has been decaying for over two decades. Space Roller Extreme Sport & Techno Games was a popular attraction for Thai families and teenagers, but it closed down after the Asian financial crisis hit the region hard in the 1990s. Now, the building is barely recognisable, with only the Space Roller sign and the crumbling rink hinting at its former glory. The interior is completely destroyed by the roof that’s caved in and there’s heaps of rubbish and (pretty bad) graffiti. Most of the rooms are pitch black and some of them are inhabited by Thai homeless people. Access was easy and straightforward, as there were no guards, fences, or no trespassing signs. I’m always thankful for abandoned sites where access is easy – it really cuts down the time you have to spend there, and you get to save your adrenaline for inside! Not a bad start to kick off the AWP Thailand urbex series! Enjoy the photography gallery below and don’t forget to follow Abandoned World Photography for regular urbex updates on
Abandoned Hanoi Rock City, Vietnam
Founded in 2010, Hanoi Rock City in the West Lake area was the city’s first and only independent live music stage. Since then, HRC has been a major player in putting Hanoi on the music map for touring artists as well as emerging as a frontrunner in providing a solid, stable and dynamic creative platform for homegrown, grassroots talents across an eclectic array of live and electronic genres. However, a few years after establishing the iconic venue, HRC moved its base of operations 100 metres down the road. The reason why is unknown but presumably to expand their customer capacity as their current location is much bigger in size. If anyone has more details on exactly when and why this site became abandoned, email abandonedworldphotography@gmail.com. Enjoy the photography slideshow below and don’t forget to follow Abandoned World Photography for regular urbex updates on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Abandoned Batman Nightclub, Thailand
Before it became derelict, the Abandoned Batman Nightclub in Thailand was a significant hotspot for upper-class tourists, and pimps. However, after its novel inception in 1994, it only operated for a mere 18 months. This building was amazing to walk through. It was huge and so spacious. There was an extremely high elevator which was completely stripped of its innards, so if you weren’t looking where you were going, you could fall over 6 storeys to the ground. Each floor had an enormous hole in the middle, which when you think about it, was pretty dangerous to have in a nightclub – but pretty unique all the same. Finally, the graffiti throughout the entire building was so colourful and impressive. Word is that professional graffiti artists were invited to create pieces on the walls in an attempt to revive the poorly building. The lower level hosted the main Batman stage, which is now completely submerged in metres of water. The upper levels were used primarily for escort and VIP services. And there is a rooftop level with 360-degree views over the city. The enormous building ceased operating when a fire spread through the club during which several patrons and members
