Slaughterhouse expo - Summer 2003
In the summer of 2003 Angelo, Ben and I explored the Northeast corner of Rotterdam, in Overschie. Nothing much was found until we came to the slaughterhouse area. It was getting dark, so the pictures are dark and bleak. But so was the atmosphere of the place.
The building next to the slaughterhouse was being demolished and provided a nice playground. (Spaarnestraat, Mijestraat)
We stumbled around on the debris and admired the containers with (hazardous?) waste but we didn’t find any entrances.

You don't see that kind of tiles anymore. They're so 1950!
But because of the demolition the stairs to the slaughterhouse the stairs to the slaughterhouse roof were wide open. We couldn’t resist this one-off opportunity.
It was a big roof space. Piping was being replaced all over the roof area and there were small ladders leading to other sections of the roof. (Notice Angelo disappearing into the distance.)
It was a pity this was just one floor up, the view was not that spectacular. – We roamed the roof and didn’t notice that we entered the in-use part of the slaughterhouse. At one point we were looking through a window and saw a group of employees (in white hygienic overalls) who were having coffee in the canteen. They sure gave us some puzzled looks!
Then Ben remembered: “That burnt out factory along the canal, is it still there?” And I said: “That animal food factory? But it’s still in use!” “No.” Ben said “It burnt down a few years ago and it stands empty now.”
Flashback: I remember the factory well. During my study in Delft I used to cycle along the canal to Rotterdam. The factory always intrigued me. I wasn’t into Urban Exploration then, but I liked the cranes, tanks and especially the huge brick wall overgrown with ivy. Boats would dock here to be unloaded. It must have been old industry from 1890 or so, judging by the architecture.
We entered the site and at first it looked quite modern. We scared a rat but it was too quick for me to film. We admired details like a warning sign saying: "Danger of explosion".
Then we walked towards the older parts of the building.
From the outside it looked all intact, but on the inside it was just a burnt out shell, Very impressive.

I was afraid that it would topple any moment, but as I write this (2005) the building is still standing. You can see it from the highway.

I would like to make a video clip here. Just a long pan shot of the inside, combined with a mournful medieval song.
Angelo - who is much braver than me - climbed the stairs towards the "directors office". Note: these are the stairs on the outside of the "empty shell" wall.
And then he also climbed to the top of te containers - giving me the opportunity to film his alien-like silhouette. (I miss the video camera - it was much more light sensitive than my digital photo camera. Ideal for these late night expeditions.)
A grand finale was given by the planes flying over our heads to land at Zestienhoven airport.

© Petr Kazil - August 2005 		Adventure art - Buildering - Jan van der Meulen - Deserted - Underground - Remarkable - Curiosities - Ghosthunt - Graffiti - Borders