revisiting old cook county hospital.

i was returning from a demolition site the other day when i decided to make a detour to revisit the old abandoned cooky county hospital, which is considered to be one of the best remaining examples of beaux arts-style architecture in the city of chicago. sadly, the ornamental terra cotta facade, which stretches two city blocks in length, continues to fall further in disrepair while the city struggles to facilitate a viable plan to repurpose the building for modern day use. constructed between 1913-14, the eight story hospital building was designed by cook county's architect paul gerhardt, along with the notable architectural firm of garden, martin and schmidt. the non-extant rear additions or "wings" were added between 1916-26. the impressive power plant that stood behind the three wings was demolished around the same time. between 2006-07 urban remains salvaged old hospital furniture, signage and other odds and ends that were being discarded into dumpsters headed towards the scrap yards. i recall the first few days where i wondered aimlessly through the vast interior, armed with only a flashlight and my camera in order to obtain any and all information pertaining to the existing state of the building and/or gather a sense of the magnitude of the project at hand.  i rarely feel afraid or succumb to a prolonged negative emotional state of being when i'm alone, photodocumenting the slow death of a building , but walking through room after room where pain and suffering was the norm was a little overbearing. i would leave each day emotionally drained and mentally exhausted. that sense of sadness returned, years later, when i began photographing the facade. i quickly noticed the terra cotta ornament is cracking and crumbling, despite attempts at "stabilization" with steel wire mesh. the entrance doors are buttoned up tight, as if they will never open again. the broken windows and unsightly and nonsensical graffiti "tags" are the telltale signs of obvious neglect, which in many cases paves the way for the arrival of the wrecking ball.