AFTER:
Not what you were expecting, right? Rather than the product of Mother Nature... this icy "makeover" was completed by artists, architects, and photographers in Detroit who encased an abandoned house in ice in order to bring awareness to the "frozen" Michigan housing market and startling number of foreclosures in the region.It is widely known in the real estate industry, that Detroit was one of the hardest hit cities in the United States by the current economic decline. Houses selling for a dollar at auction, historic buildings crumbling due to neglect and lack of funds to maintain. The once flourishing epicenter of the auto industry, now boasts an estimated unemployment rate of almost 50% according the the Detroit News, a crumbling infrastructure, and tens of THOUSANDS of abandoned properties.
Incredibly sad.
Regardless, I hope that this project, and the national attention that it has received, brings awareness to the current state of Detroit's economy and the virtual LOSS of a city and it's architecture. Detroit, the citizens, and their industry need help desperately... and this is a humbling reminder to those of us in St. Louis: it could always be worse!
Pics of the project...
HERE is a super cool 360 degree panoramic view of the Ice House. In addition, you can check out the Ice House Blog HERE. It's extremely interesting!
