Disappearance | Sebastian Schweers

The real estate boom in Shanghai in the last decade has not only driven property prices to absurd levels, it has also taken its toll on older residential neighborhoods. One such neighborhood in prime location right next to the Bund is named Xiaonanmen. The housing stock is old, mostly single story, built in the 1920s and relatively untouched by the japanese invasion in WW2. Starting in 2010, to make space for luxury highrise residential developments, people living in this area have been relocated to suburban districts. With water and electrical supply lines mostly cut, a ghost town remains, of buildings being empty shells awaiting demolition.

A presentation of change in photographic works

A hairdresser, still very much in business.

A poster model waving at you through what once must have been a living room.

Salesman at a still active street market.

Some buildings are surprisingly intact - although completely locked up and inaccessible. This one had an open window where the camera just fit through.

Some buildings still draw electricity with generators running in the backyards.

Mahjong Game. There are lots of small rooms with anything from three to ten tables around for people to play in.

An empty room with a sofa still stuck upstairs.

Matresses, and basically everything that was on the top floor lying around on the ground floor.