Photo Credit: Christian Richter/Instagram

There is something hauntingly beautiful about an abandoned building, and photographer Christian Richter says that he fell in love with them when he was very young after receiving a camera as a present. He began capturing the striking beauty of magnificent abandoned buildings on film, mostly photographing empty buildings with grand staircases or interiors.

He writes on Bored Panda: “When I was young, I fell in love with abandoned buildings. After I got a camera as a present, I started photographing the beauty there. I mostly photograph empty buildings with great staircases or interiors. I simply adore old decaying architecture, their patterns and textures – they remind me that everything is impermanent. Abandoned architecture photography is my ongoing project and I often travel around Europe looking for abandoned buildings.”

It’s easy to imagine the stories that might be held within these walls. While Richter doesn’t go into the history of each building, you can almost see what might have taken place, 50, 100, 150 years ago or even more. In fact, abandoned structures have become so popular, their photos have even been referred to as “ruin porn.”

They are a reminder that buildings aren’t immortal. There’s a “shared fate” between a building and the individuals who built it, similar to a car crash or a house fire, the viewer can’t look away for fear that they may miss a rare opportunity to stare death into the eye.