# What are the largest abandoned buildings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991 "2011-07-14T08:11:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/1 "2011-07-14T08:11:13Z")
I’ve lived in Chicagoland for almost a year and just realized that we have at least two huge abandoned buildings, the old post office and the old cook county hospital. What are the largest abandoned buildings in the world and where do these rank? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/2 "2011-07-14T08:16:51Z")
I’ve lived in Chicagoland for almost a year and just realized that we have at least two huge abandoned buildings, the old post office and the old cook county hospital. What are the largest abandoned buildings in the world and where do these rank? ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/3 "2011-07-14T08:56:10Z")
The [Ryugyong Hotel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel) in North Korea is a good candidate at over 1,000 ft height. It was never completed, and was left derelict for 16 years. Work is now progressing again, but it’s not clear if it will ever be occupied, or to what extent (this is North Korea we are talking about). I beleive there are is an abandoned aircraft hanger designed to house airships somewhere, that might also be a good candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/4 "2011-07-14T08:59:03Z")
I think the [Ryugyong Hotel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel) either is or was a pretty good candidate. It’s probably the _tallest_ abandoned building, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/5 "2011-07-14T09:02:52Z")
> [@I\_Know\_Nothing](#): > > I’ve lived in Chicagoland for almost a year and just realized that we have at least two huge abandoned buildings, the old post office and the old cook county hospital. > What are the largest abandoned buildings in the world and where do these rank? [This](http://www.thecoolist.com/abandoned-places-10-creepy-beautiful-modern-ruins/) could interest you. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/6 "2011-07-14T09:14:45Z")
the catacombs in rome and paris. the paris catacombs are largely unmapped and has 4 known levels at underground (source: scariest places on earth hosted by linda blair.) ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/7 "2011-07-14T09:21:01Z")
According to wikipedia the Ruygyong Hotel has a floor area of 360,000 sq meters. The [New South China Mall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_China_Mall) has a (retail) area of 659,612 sq meters. It is not completely abandoned, but around 99 % of the space is vacant. I don’t know whether Ryugyoung is completely abandoned either. As for height, the [Ostankino Tower in Moscow](http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/tallest-abandoned-structures/15004?image=1) probably takes the prize, but looking at the [wiki page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostankino_Tower) makes me doubt whether it’s really abandoned or not. Ryugyong is definitely the most haunting place of the three. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/8 "2011-07-14T09:38:19Z")
Completely abandoned, and has been for 23 years (500,000 square feet): [Michigan Central Station](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Central_Station) mmm ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/9 "2011-07-14T12:01:50Z")
I’ve combined two duplicate threads. **samclem** Moderator ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/10 "2011-07-14T12:03:36Z")
How about the blimp hangars in [Tustin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Tustin)? Let’s see… they’re about 300 feet wide and 1000 feet long, so they’re up to 300,000 square feet already even if they don’t get extra points for volume. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/11 "2011-07-14T12:05:25Z")
How do you define “largest” and “abandoned”? By volume, perhaps the Great Pyramid qualifies, or did qualify for several thousand years if you consider it to be no longer abandoned. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/12 "2011-07-14T12:40:48Z")
What will the [new Chernobyl sarcophagus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Safe_Confinement) count as, when it’s built and in place? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/13 "2011-07-14T13:16:33Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > How do you define “largest” and “abandoned”? By volume, perhaps the Great Pyramid qualifies, or did qualify for several thousand years if you consider it to be no longer abandoned. I would have never considered them abandoned. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/14 "2011-07-14T13:25:52Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I would have never considered them abandoned. But others might: it’s a building which for many thousands of years was not routinely used or occupied by humans, nor was it any longer fulfilling its original primary purpose as a tomb. If you consider that one of its purposes was to be a monument, then it has continued to fulfill that role to some degree, though for most of its history (and probably even today) most people have been ignorant of what exactly it commemorates. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/15 "2011-07-14T14:11:15Z")
I consider abandoned to mean that the owner has relinquished his property rights and vacated the property. Just being unused does not qualify as abandoned. I wouldn’t consider any of the examples given to be abandoned, just currently vacant. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/16 "2011-07-14T14:21:23Z")
I would think in the United States it would have to be Detroit, the old train station, the Packard Plant, etc. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/17 "2011-07-14T15:15:26Z")
[Eastern State Penitentiar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_State_Penitentiary)y in Philadelphia covers 11 acres (about 480,000 square feet), but that includes the grounds. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/18 "2011-07-14T15:41:20Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > I beleive there are is an abandoned aircraft hanger designed to house airships somewhere, that might also be a good candidate. Is [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangar_One_%28Mountain_View,_California%29) what you’re referring to? While not a single structure, [Hashima Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashima_Island) is a pretty interesting example of an abandoned place. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/19 "2011-07-14T16:06:12Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > [Eastern State Penitentiar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_State_Penitentiary)y in Philadelphia covers 11 acres (about 480,000 square feet), but that includes the grounds. Small potatoes! The abandoned Packard plant in Detroit is\*\* 3,500,000 sq ft,\*\* ( 3 1/2 million) it sits on 37 acres, and it has a floor area of 35,000,000 sq ft . . ---
**Author:** ![Dufus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dufus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dufus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991/20 "2011-07-14T17:07:52Z")
Here’s a [nuclear plant that was never finished](http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/04/nuclear-plant-that-was-never-finished.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-abandoned-buildings/588991.md?page=2)