In today’s Urbandoned video, we head inside
the historic, abandoned Paisley Royal Alexandra Hospital, located outside Glasgow in Scotland. The towering infirmary has been vacant for
over a decade, allowing it to suffer from extreme decay and vandalism that places a
cloud over it’s stunning, unique architecture. Join us as we explore the vast property to
look for it’s special qualities. In our last episode, we asked the question,
‘Would you like to see more vehicle graveyards?’ We had many responses and as shown by this
comment from Joanne, bus, plane and car abandonments will feature more in the future on this channel. They definitely do show clear history with
the different makes that change noticeably over time. This week we are asking for your opinions
on graffiti in abandoned buildings. Do you think it’s always mindless vandalism
or can it be considered a creative output? Let us know in the comments to possibly feature
in our next video. Covered in dominating vegetation, the grand
entrance to the hospital showcases its obvious abandoned condition. The building has been shuttered since 2008
with metal sheeting on almost every window. Built just before the turn of the 20th century
in 1896 by architect T.G. Abercrombie, it has been called his largest
and most prestigious work in Paisley. It’s dated design is now visible in comparison
to the residential area it sits within. Around into it’s overgrown land, you can
see some of the distinctive features that were the hospitals pride and joy, being three
storey ward blocks that ended with semi circle balconies, topped by a domed roof. Amazingly, also in this desolate region, you
can sight another part of the former facility that is in use as flats, having been converted
before the hospital closed. It felt strange walking to our inevitable
access point and passing these inhabited sections, that overlook the dilapidated building, once
housing the same task. We had predicted that finding an entrance
to the forgotten medical structure wouldn’t be a challenge and we were proven right, slipping
into the complex’s dark basement and immediately looking for a way upstairs. It appeared that one of many fires had taken
place inside the central staircase charring the walls and ceiling of an otherwise stunning
feature. The hospital contained such a lack of furniture
and so much human destruction that it was hard to find rooms of interest throughout
a lot of it. However, along the main corridor, there were
many old features, such as ornate wooden panelling and the ruined stained glass. At the far end of the walkway is the connection
to the flats that cover half of the former Royal Alexandra Hospital site. It was extended many times up until it’s
closure in 1987, but wasn’t left neglected for another 20 years. In the time the property halted serving medically,
what hadn’t been transformed into living spaces in the 90s became a care home, which
is why there is a lack of hospital signage across the premises. The infirmary’s nurses home became more
flats in 2005, ultimately leading to the care home’s closure a couple years later. The curved open verandas at the south peak
of each ward pavilion were among the nicest remaining details in the entire infirmary. You can imagine patients stepping out onto
the protected balcony to get some fresh air after a long time inside the hospital. Sadly, there isn’t a great ordeal to see
in the building, but this is one of those ruined places we are starting to find more
interest in as we continue to lose old architecture every day. This incredible hall would have been a kitchen
for the whole hospital, positioned on the top floor in a tower layout. It’s prominent design was captivating, making
us wonder of the causes that could lead to something like this becoming disused. The likely reason for the infirmary’s decline
was that the building, although beautiful, was outdated. Costs for such a large, old structure would
be sky high, especially with the addition of natural deterioration that happens to these
places over the years. Unfortunately, they are never infinite, which
is why the newer replications tend to be built with a favourable material for a longer last. Although it boasted some dated parts, the
chapel seemed more modern than the rest of the facility, explaining the lack of water
damage internally, as there was probably a stable roof above. Moving back across the confusing layout of
the hospital, we next headed for the lower floors that we had neglected since entry,
mainly because there was no light being let in. More kitchens were housed below ground level
but in a much smaller, less grand fashion. There was even some furniture like trolleys
and cooking appliances. Like in most hospitals and asylums we have
visited, a laundry room was situated down there too, with three massive industrial machines
gathering dust. Following our trip over the ground sections,
we had successfully looked at the majority of the hospital and were ready to leave. In this video, we attempted to showcase it’s
highlights and left out a lot of empty, destroyed rooms that were a common occurrence. Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital is still
on the market currently, with no investors wanting to risk taking the plunge into a collapsing
structure. It deserves to be saved in our eyes, showing
rare medical design that needs to be treasured. Despite locals reporting constant crime to
the council when scrappers have stolen expensive material and youths have trashed the interior,
nothing effective has been done. Therefore, it is almost imminent that a bigger
disaster will occur in the future, either to the building or an unwanted visitor. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of the hospital. If you did, leave a like on the video and
subscribe to never miss a future upload. Here are some of our photographs captured
at the vacant infirmary. If you like the look of them, check out our
Instagram page in the description where we post images of our explores months before
they are seen on YouTube. Thanks for watching! Remember to check out our new website and
discord server below. See you next time!
