The Swedish photographer Mikael Olsson has been visiting two abandoned summer homes designed by architect Bruno Matthson for the past decade, documenting the condition of the houses over time to preserve what may be lost or forgotten when new tenants move in and inevitably repair what’s been left to deteriorate. Steidl Verlag recently published Södrakull Frösakull , a stunning monograph of Olsson’s project, that’s as much an homage to the lesser known Swedish designer as it is a comment about the importance of preservation.
It’s hard to say what’s so intriguing about decaying, deserted spaces, but admittedly, we’re hooked on abandoned architecture, from Olympic ruins and video stores to train stations and record shops. Click through to visit some of the most beautiful — but eerily empty! — mid-century modern homes we could find. Is it just us, or can you feel the ghost of Don Draper?
Summer House by Bruno Matthson – Frösakull, Sweden
Image credit: Mikael Olsson via Galerie NORDENHAKE
Summer House 2 by Bruno Matthson – Södrakull, Sweden
Image credit: Mikael Olsson via designboom
The Twitchell House by Paul Rudolph – Siesta Key, Florida
Image credit: Chris Mottalini
The Cerrito House by Paul Rudolph – Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Image credit: Chris Mottalini
The Michaels House by Paul Rudolph – Westport, Connecticut
Image credit: Chris Mottalini
Turkel House by Frank Lloyd Wright – Detroit, Michigan
Image credit: Peter Beers
Update: Current owner Norman Silk emails us that he purchased the house in 2006, and it has been completely updated since.
Villa House by Knud Blach Petersen & Herbert Jensen – Aarhus, Denmark
Images credit: Julian Weyer
Besser Vibrapac – Atlanta, Georgia
Image credit: The Mover