#12 Babo Hochhaus

The Babo Hochhaus (short for Bâtiment Administratif de Baden-Oos) is an eleven-storey building in the Baden-Baden district of Oos in Germany. It dominates the view from my in-laws apartment so its a familiar sight for me. It was built in 1954 and served as a management center for the French occupying forces and following NATO affiliated personnel up until 1999. The building was abandoned in 2000, and despite signs of sporadic maintenance it is fading. However due to its architectural significance it is classified as a historic building and presumably cannot be demolished. Apparently there have been various plans by Russian or Turkish investors to renovate it and turn into a conference centre or hotel or something, but nothing ever seems to come of these. Although it is loosely fenced off, it’s easy enough to wander around the grounds. So far nobody has shouted at me.

All photos taken with Olympus E-M5.2 and m.Zuiko 17mm f/1.2 lens. Processed using Mastin Labs Fuji Pro 160S film simulation.

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