Cityscapes & Lost Places

2014 - The Beauty of Decay

published on

A visit to the Ihme-Zentrum

The Ihme-Zentrum has long been considered an eyesore in Hannover (except by those who live there and don't have to see it when they look out the window). It was planned in the 1960s and shows what can be done with concrete ... and what should better be left undone. The basic idea was to integrate residential and commercial space, but after a brief heyday, most of the commercial space was vacant. This created a lot of dark and smelly nooks and crannies, which in turn was not good for the remaining businesses and the quality of living.
Later, a succession of different investors tried to renovate the complex, but so far they have all either been bought out by others or gone bankrupt before making any changes for the better. As a result, much of the building is now run down, dark and empty.