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Jakob Ehrensvärd | profile | all galleries >> Decay, ruins, wrecks and scrap >> The collapsed roof tile factory tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

The collapsed roof tile factory

In Sweden, large-scale industrial manufacturing of roof tiles boomed during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Clay-based tiles were quickly recognized a blessing compared with wooden tiles and other far less durable roofing materials. In a time when energy and labor was inexpensive and clay could be brought up at virtually no cost, the tile industry continued to grow as large scale urbanization programs evolved as Sweden was becoming richer. Typically the tile works usually also made drainage pipes, which also became good business as farmers started large-scale draining project of swampy areas.

However, just in like so many other industries the post-WWII period initiated a long downward slope in the tile business, as a wide range of alternative materials were introduced during the 1950s. In some cases, these alternatives were superior in quality, durability and/or available at a lower cost, but probably most alarming for the industry – clay tiles were considered "old fashioned". Further, construction companies were more than happy to give a blow to an industry sector with a long tradition of cartels and other means of keeping competition out.

Making matters even worse, the factories were typically very old fashioned and labor intensive and as the wealth grew and competition accelerated during the 1960s, a massive onslaught almost eliminated the industry sector. The final blew came during the 1970s, where the construction bonanza went to an end and a massive recession shook the sector. The highly energy inefficient furnaces used to cure the tiles also relied on cheap energy, which since the 1950s meant bunker oil. As the 1973 oil crisis hit, any doubt that these old factories were doomed was probably gone by then.

Of some fifty tile plants in operation around 1950, today only one is left.

Clay tiles are today back in fashion and it seems like the shakeout after all was necessary and inevitable. Considering a modern factory, with all their means of automation, these old all-wooden sites really give a stunning impression. This site is in a very late stage of decay as it has been abandoned for forty+ years. Although the decay is massive and the feeling of chaos is total, the grandness of the site surely gives a scent of what tile manufacturing once was like...
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