There have been countless architectural gems built over centuries that people have had the chance to admire. Everything from authentic houses of worship to spectacular bridges, stations, and entire old towns, among other structures, have been a mesmerizing sight for their eyes at some point throughout history. Unfortunately, quite a few buildings like these weren’t able to stand the test of time and can now only be admired in photographs.
We have gathered some of such photographs on this list for you to marvel at. They were shared by the ‘Lost Architecture’ community—“a subreddit devoted to images and discussion of interesting buildings that no longer exist,” as their own description reads. It covers all sorts of impressive structures that were destroyed by wars and other calamities, sadly leaving us with not much more than a picture of what it once was.
#1 Salzhaus And Haus Frauenstein. Built Around 1600 In Frankfurt, Germany. Both Destroyed In 1944 By An Raf Raid
Image credits: JankCranky
#2 San Francisco’s Cliff House 1896–1907
Image credits: ZomberBomber
#3 Skete Of All Saints, Ukraine (Largest Wooden Church In Ukraine, Burned Down 2022)
Image credits: TheRickerd120
#4 Neue Elbbrücke Bridge From 1887-1959 In Hamburg, Germany
Image credits: Lepke2011
#5 St. Peter’s Hospital, Bristol, England. Built In The Late 14th Century As A Merchant’s House, Destroyed In The Bristol Blitz In 1940
Image credits: JankCranky
#6 The Baths Of Diocletian, 298 Ad. A Couple Of Walls Are Left, Still Impressive
Image credits: CountHonorius
#7 Los Angeles In 1918, Nothing Here Survived To The Present Day
Image credits: moose098
#8 Graham House, West Vancouver, Canada, Designed By Arthur Erickson In 1962, Demolished In 2007
Image credits: archineering
#9 Park Hotel Bremen, Bremen, Germany. Built In 1890 And Was Lost To A Fire In 1907
Image credits: JankCranky
#10 Base Of The Spire, Seen From The Southwest, Notre-Dame De Paris, 2018
Image credits: danbob411
#11 Pennsylvania Station, New York City, Ca 1910
Image credits: HejdaaNils
#12 1890 Sioux City Corn Palace, Iowa. From 1887 To 1891, Sioux Cityans Celebrated The Autumn Harvest With A Festival Featuring The Construction Of A Large Building In Downtown Called A Corn Palace Covered In Corn And Other Grains
Image credits: JankCranky
#13 A Digital Reconstruction Of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, Which Was Located In London, England. Completed In 1314, It Was Destroyed In The 1666 Great Fire Of London. The Current Cathedral With Its Iconic Dome Was Built Between 1675 And 1710
Image credits: Silverfrost5549
#14 1905 Photo Of The Park Avenue Hotel (A.k.a. Working Women’s Hotel) At 32nd And Park Avenue In New York City. Opened In 1878, Demolished In 1925. (Partial Ai Colorization)
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#15 Ancient Egyptian Fortress Of Buhen – Lost To The Aswan Dam (Lake Nasser)
Image credits: CountHonorius
#16 Galloway’s Furniture Store, Sarasota, Florida, Designed By Victor Lundy In 1959. Partially Demolished In The 1970s, Some Of The Structure Still Survives Within A Nondescript Exterior
Image credits: archineering
#17 Park Terrace, Duluth, Minnesota. Built In 1890 And Demolished In 1936
Image credits: JankCranky
#18 The Old Times Square. (1904)
Image credits: reddit.com
#19 Helmond, The Netherlands (Demolished In 2019 For A Big Appartement Block)
Image credits: TheRickerd120
#20 Leaning Tower Of Zaragoza “Torre Nueva”(1504-1892)
Image credits: Atropapalucos
#21 Cathedral Of Christ The Saviour, Located In Borki, Near Kharkiv In The Russian Empire (Modern-Day Kharkiv, Ukraine). Pictured In 1894. It Was Destroyed During The Second World War
Image credits: Silverfrost5549
#22 Świnoujście/Swinemünde Pier, Poland (Formerly Germany). The Place Existed Between 1890s And 1920s
Image credits: Mackelowsky
#23 Steele High School, Dayton, Ohio. Built In 1894, Demolished For A Parking Garage In 1955
Image credits: qazto
#24 Denver 1880s: None Of The Buildings In This Photo Have Survived To The Present Day
Image credits: xzy1546
#25 Old City Hall Post Office, NYC. 1880-1938
Image credits: eldersveld
#26 National Palace Of Haiti, 1912-2010, Severely Damaged By The 2010 Haitian Earthquake And Demolished In 2012
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 Everything In This Photo Was Destroyed – Skopje, North Macedonia Before The 1963 Earthquake
Image credits: d2mensions
#28 Oklahoma City State Capitol Bank Built In 1962, Complete With A Conversation Pit Elevator! Since Remodeled
Image credits: potatoesassholes
#29 New York World Building, Demolished In 1955 For A Ramp Extension Of The Brooklyn Bridge
Image credits: BiRd_BoY_
#30 Palace Theater, Long Beach, Ca: Opened In 1916 And Demolished In The Late 1980s
Image credits: jewish_tricks
#31 The Beach Hotel, Galveston, Tx. Built In 1882 And Destroyed By A Mysterious Fire In 1898
Image credits: JankCranky
#32 Pittsburgh Was Once One Of The Most Beautiful Cities Not Only In The Us, But In The World. Most Of It Was Demolished
Image credits: reddit.com
#33 Mount Adams Incline, Cincinnati, Oh (1872–1948)
Image credits: NoctisStar
#34 The General Motors Pavilion At The 1964 New York World’s Fair, Aka ‘Futurama,’ Also The Source Of The Name Matt Groening Gave His Show From Visiting The Futuristic Attraction As A Kid. Torn Down After The Fair Ended, 1965
Image credits: MCofPort
#35 Venice, California Before The Canals Were Filled In And The Buildings Were Demolished, 1906
Image credits: moose098
#36 One Of Philadelphias Most Gorgeous Corners In The Year Of 1900, Broad Street Station. (Razed In 50s)
Image credits: reddit.com
#37 The Chicago Federal Building (1898-1965)
Image credits: CR24752
#38 Palast Der Republik, Berlin. Demolished In 2008 Due To Asbestos
Image credits: CGXReddit
#39 Church In La Jalca, Peru. Built In 1538, Collapsed In An Earthquake
Image credits: Uncerte
#40 Color Photo Of Penn Station In 1963 Just Prior To Demolition
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#41 Prentice Women’s Hospital In Chicago
Image credits: eruba
#42 Monroe Palace In Rio De Janeiro. Built In 1906 And Destroyed In 1976
Image credits: sakker2700
#43 Trinity Episcopal Church. Washington, Dc. (1851-1936)
Image credits: JacoDaDon
#44 Paleis Voor Volksvlijt, Amsterdam. Finished Building 1864, Burned Down 1929
Image credits: ravesteeph
#45 The Old Tripe House, Digbeth, Birmingham, U.k. (1533-1893)
Image credits: JankCranky
#46 Saratoga Hotel In Havana, Cuba. Destroyed By A Gas Explosion
Image credits: Uncerte
#47 The Toy Building Was Constructed In 1913, And Anchored Milwaukee’s Small Chinatown Community, The Building Hosted A Restaurant And A Theater, But Was Demolished In 1946
Image credits: FromLuxorToEphesus
#48 Culver House In St. Louis. Demolished 7/19/22 For Symphony Hall Expansion
Image credits: PovertySandwich
#49 Broadwater Natatorium, Helena, 1889. 100 Heated Changing Rooms, Electricity, Stained Glass Rose Windows. Demolished 1946
Image credits: WalterLSD
#50 City Hall Of Galveston, Texas. Built In 1888 And Demolished In 1966
Image credits: JankCranky
#51 Great Ape House, Kansas City Zoo 1966-2015
Image credits: Bluorchid2
#52 Ibm Pavilion “The Egg,” 1964 World’s Fair. Charles And Ray Eames Architects
Image credits: MCofPort
#53 Transgas Building, Prague (Built 1978, Demolished 2020)
Image credits: spky_