Rotting futuristic Taiwanese housing project

Craig Ferguson snuck into Taiwan's abandoned hyper-futuristic San-Zhr Pod Village, a rotting, curvilinear housing complex that has been cursed since its inception, killing and injuring some of its construction crew. Link (Thanks, Nicholas!)

[#1 posted by Antinous , May 24, 2008 2:06 PM]

The gallery works better if you navigate backward. I would love to rehab those for my upcoming monastery! But they're wood frame construction which seems horribly wrong for cantilevered housing, especially in a hot, humid, buggy climate. And what's up with the neoclassical balustrades at the top of the central towers?

[#2 posted by rwmj , May 24, 2008 3:11 PM]

Gosh, I've actually had photos of these houses as my desktop image since the last time Cory posted them on Boingboing, last year:

Taiwan's rotting Jetsons houses

[#3 posted by strider_mt2k , May 24, 2008 4:40 PM]

Very eerie looking.
Do I see fabric in those drawers, or is that the liner buckling with age and exposure?
-because there's abandoning and then there's ABANDONING.

I'd be very tempted to explore.
It's like a piece of the not too distant future as seen from the not too distant past, arriving in bad shape yesterday.

This is the kind of stuff I love Boing Boing for.
Thanks folks.

[#4 posted by Bonnie , May 24, 2008 5:34 PM]

Here's hoping this story turns into a decent horror film.

[#5 posted by Torley , May 24, 2008 7:46 PM]

There's something beautiful yet tragic about the bright colors contrasted with the decay. Looks like for all the cited futurism, there's a lot of wood and not enough (apparent) metal.

[#6 posted by Antinous , May 24, 2008 9:11 PM]

There's something beautiful yet tragic about the bright colors contrasted with the decay.

Funny, that's what I think when I put on eye make-up.

[#7 posted by Tenn , May 24, 2008 9:38 PM]

Oh man, for sites like that to photograph!

Gorgeous pictures, looks like an interesting place.

[#8 posted by mneptok , May 24, 2008 10:06 PM]

Google map

[#9 posted by Anonymous , May 24, 2008 10:36 PM]

I'm the photographer who took these shots. More can be seen on my website here and here

[#10 posted by Antinous , May 24, 2008 10:56 PM]

Thanks, Craig.

[#11 posted by cinemajay , May 24, 2008 11:19 PM]

@2, Thanks for pointing that out. For a moment there I was beginning to think that I kept seeing different housing projects that failed--but for some reason they all used the same design.

I couldn't figure out why this design was such a failure in the tourist industry. It makes sense--they're the same place!

[#12 posted by Takuan , May 24, 2008 11:21 PM]

I've been in places rife with unsettled justice. There is something to it. How does one lay spirits?

[#13 posted by Evil Jim , May 25, 2008 12:15 AM]

I remember these from the post last year too. I really like the colours. Now that I see them I have to wonder why the hell anyone would photograph them in black & white.

[#14 posted by Absent , May 25, 2008 12:25 AM]

Has anyone come across photos of this place from when it was new? Either peoples own photos or advertising material. Some publicity brochures must exist somewhere.

[#15 posted by Anonymous , May 27, 2008 3:07 PM]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen these before in some horrible low budget ninja/softcore porn movie called "Golden Ninja" or something like that. These are the backdrop to the final, disturbing fight scene.

[#16 posted by Anonymous , February 8, 2009 4:45 AM]

What a shame, the houses are being demolished now:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2009/01/29/2003434810