6 A Fish Factory

An island in the middle of the Baltic Sea in Kaltene, Latvia, a Soviet-created fish factory was transformed into a contemporary home. In the name of adaptive redesign, architect Zaigas Gailes Birjos converted the abandoned fish factory into a chilled-out vacation home.

The fish-farm pump station was built by the Soviets in the 1980s on an artificial island in the Baltic Sea. The red-brick L-shaped building is a perfect example of Soviet architecture during industrial times.

It remained as ruins until 2007 when it was bought by its present owners who appointed a talented artist to transform it into their home. The architect brilliantly added the contemporary look to the old Soviet building while also consciously conserving historical architectural features. It took him three years to make the necessary changes and decorate the house.

The vacation home is basically divided into three segments: a full-height, sandwiched in the middle, two-story apartments for owner’s parents on one side, and the same thing for children on the other.

The interior is minimally changed; the Soviet industrial features were kept alive. (Source)

7 A Church

Owners of the home décor business Harper and Co. bought an abandoned Sacred Heart Church, and in two years, they turned it into a cozy home. The church in Ontario, Canada was built in 1888 and was up for sale in 2018 when the present owners bought it.

The church in Princeton was renovated by Lynn Perrault and Jonathon Harmer, the owners of Harper and Co. The couple mentioned that they loved the church at first sight when it was up for sale.

The front doors of the building were a little damaged since it had been abandoned for almost 10 years. But the broken door of the church became the inspiration for its documentary’s name given by the couple. It was named “The Chippy Church Journey.”

It has a living space of 3,589 square feet featuring three bedrooms and an equal number of bathrooms. The pews of the church were donated to the community. During the renovation, the couple was careful enough to make sure to salvage nearly all of its original structure.

Beautiful chandeliers that dated back to the 1940s along with the vintage sinks weren’t removed from their places. This breathtaking piece of art was up for sale for $1.2 million. (Source)

8 An Old Library

The old Dunbrack Library in Pennsylvania was only inhabited by beetles and snaking trumpet vines since it was closed in 1958. The niece and her husband of the owner of the old library transformed it into a comfortable home with souvenirs they gathered from around the world. 

Holes on the rooftop didn’t stop Christina Griffin to have faith in the lonely structure. She, with her husband George, rescued the library and turned it into a summer retreat.

Cristina’s uncle wasn’t selling the building, and it was scheduled for demolition in 1994. She promised her uncle she would work on the old structure and transform it in a year. The couple completed the task with four months to spare. As promised, they got possession of the house.

The interior is decorated richly with souvenirs that the couple bought from a variety of places they traveled. The rooms were filled with paintings, sculptures, photographs, etc.

The library was built in 1894, and Cristina wanted to keep its glory alive, so she managed to keep most of its unique features, like the bookcases and a stage. Vacant bookcases didn’t look so good, so the first house party asked the invites to bring books to fill up the empty spaces. (Source)

9 A Mall

The oldest indoor mall, the Westminster Arcade in Providence on Rhode Island, was built in 1982. The Arcade couldn’t stand losses and was closed in the 1970s, but was reopened only to be closed again in 2008. It was reopened for the last time in 2013, but with its second and third floors as micro-apartments.

This shopping mall lost its customers to the comfort of online shopping. It was opened in 1892 as an English-style indoor shopping mall for people in the US. However, it soon had to face unbearable losses just like any other mall in the US in the 20th century.

Instead of renovating, the mall was closed in 2008, but its developers were creative enough to find a way to keep it alive. The Northeast Collaborative Architects designed the two floors into 38 units of micro-apartments with sizes ranging from 225 to 300 square feet.

They did the homes in Greek architecture with columns, stone walls, and a large central atrium lit by skylights. The rent to live in the historic place is from $850 to $1,500 a month, and there is already a waiting list of people who are more than eager to live there. (1, 2)

10 A Mental Asylum

The Octagon is a luxury apartment complex that was earlier a cruel New York City Lunatic Asylum. It was infamous for mistreating patients very ruthlessly and was closed in 1995. The place remained a ruin until 2006 when it was renovated in living spaces with a private gym, rec room, and pool.

The mental asylum was built in 1834 on what is now known as Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, New York. The island was formerly known as Blackwell’s Island and is located in the outskirts of the big city.

The asylum was underfunded and overcrowding since its beginning and plagued by multiple diseases. Also, the employees treated the patients in gruesome ways.

Finally, in 1887, a young reporter exposed the extremely poor condition of the place in a journal titled “Ten Days in Mad House.” Eventually, after the progressive relocation of the patients, the building was abandoned in the 2000s.

The architecture of the structure although was magnificent; it was charming, spacious, and elegant. It was designed by a reputed New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis.  

In 2006, the property was purchased and converted into a residential complex. It was completely redesigned except for the trademark octagonal tower. This structure too was changed from the inside by installing a new modern metal spiral staircase.

Residents have reported hearing voices and encountering ghosts in the building. (Source)