Tainan Laiya Building

Date CapturedFebruary 7th, 2017 at 18:07 UTCCameraSM-G9208LensSamsung Galaxy S6 Rear CameraApertureƒ / 1.9Shutter Speed1/8 secFocal Length4.3 mmISO800Exposure Value4.9 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

An extremely dangerous and dilapidated mixed-use building that sometimes appears in urban exploration forums. It was completed in 1985 and once hosted hotels, a fancy restaurant, and numerous apartments, but most residents have moved out due to safety concerns. It is a prime example of a “sea sand house” (海砂屋), a trend in the 1980s where low-grade mixer was added to the concrete, eventually leading to fracturing, collapse, and exposure of the underlying steel. Most of the first few levels of the building are occupied, presumably by squatters, but much of the rest is abandoned. On Google Maps it is listed as “earthquake-damaged building” (地震危樓). Exercise extreme caution should you choose to visit.