If you are like me, you always wanted to find out what the inside of the former
Central Power Station of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company looks like. The long neglected building on the shores of the Gowanus Canal has at one time been home to a squatter community.
Photographer and friend Nate Kensinger just published another incredible photo essay on the former power station, which he calls the "Batcave." His shots of the interior of the magnificently decrepit building are stunning.
He writes:
"An initial visit to this empty powerhouse in 2007 revealed a surprisingly unique interior, with huge industrial halls dominated by hundreds of graffiti pieces. Many of the squatters' rooms remained intact, with beds, posters, prescriptions and needles left behind as evidence of a rushed eviction. This evocative space was soon featured in an award-winning film about a Brooklyn squatter, "Cave Flower" (2008) directed by Sam Fleischner. A second visit to the Batcave in 2010 revealed further natural decay. Additional holes in the slowly collapsing roof flood water into the building. Mold and rust have overtaken many surfaces. Like a tomb, the empty building still contains many squatters' belongings trapped inside."
Read Nate's essay and see more of his Batcave photos here.
Related Reading:
A Must Read Photo Essay On Gowanus Whole Foods Site
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4 comments:
What a fantastic space - I had always wondered what the inside looked like. Amazing how squatters could make a home for themselves. I once saw a very well-dressed young woman entering the property's banks - there must have been a hole in the fencing or something - and she was not the image I had had of a squatter. In some countries, like the Netherlands, squatters have rights. They can actually take ownersip of a building under certain conditions.
I really love this building which could be a fantastic art, entertainment & office place if rehabilitated. We could also imagine the canal as a recreation area when cleaned. I wish the city had some vision for responsible development.
I've walked by it countless times and always wanted to get a peek inside, so thanks for this! Why on earth hasn't some enterprising developer purchased and rehabbed this space and turned it into a performance space? Situated smack dab in between the Slope and Carroll/Cobble, and with so few residential neighbors to worry about ticking off, I think it would be an ideal spot for a mid-size venue. No offense to the Bell House or Southpaw, but South Brooklyn needs a decent space for concerts from marquee-name artists!
Great post. I enjoyed the picture and the film you referenced.
Thank you Katia.
Glenda Pagan
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