this ruin renovation turns six abandoned structures into luxury homes

there can be something exciting about ruins; if it’s not their rich history perhaps it’s their inherent opportunity. left neglected or even vandalized, these uninhabited structures beg the question: ‘what were they once like and what could they be today?’ neomam, the graphic designers who often play around with architecture, have taken six ruins from around the world and used photoshop to turn them into luxury homes.

gifs created by neomam for budget direct

starting off the list is this castle on a hill, which was built nearly a millennium ago in northern italy. from atop, it surveys the surrounding landscape, once for tactical purposes, now simply for the viewing pleasure of those who inhabit it. in this rendering, the series of stone towers is filled with glass additions, bringing a modern touch to a ruin that is anything but.

the home below once housed the early settlers of this island at the edge of the world. the mad max looking world is transformed into something more comfortable; yet, it maintains some of its edge with the addition of rough materials such as corten steel. even the old rusty car is kept on the property as a ‘flowerbox’. another desert ruin renovation in also featured. built in the united states from preexisting pueblo architecture, it is assembled in a kind of modernist tuscan style.

ruins have been rebuilt again and again with each passing age, thus taking on new meaning and new aesthetics in every changing era. rome is the best example, with pagan temples turned churches, and other bizarre fusions. but as ruins themselves become iconic, is it ethical for an architect to intervene? and if it is, in which ways would it be suitable? while not answering the questions, this neomam project offers great entertainment to the architect in all of us, and ponders what our imagination tells us when we look at an old ruin.