It had been a few years since my first visit to this large office building beside a steelworks in northern France. Its size, decay and almost complete lack of graffiti were good reasons to return.
In 2015, it was clear how much further the building had deteriorated. Moisture and temperature changes had done their work. The roof had partly collapsed and leaked in many places. Missing windows gave wind and rain free access.
More and more plaster was coming away from the walls. At such a moment, you wonder how long it will be before larger sections also fail. The photographs make the difference from my 2013 visit clear.
In several places, light falls directly through the open roof. This reveals parts of the structure that were once hidden from the building’s occupants. The empty corridors show another side: repetition, peeling walls and a succession of doorways. What is photographically appealing may point to a serious structural problem.
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