In a quiet suburb, north of Paris, by the River Seine, stands a derelict four-story building. Its windows and doors are broken, some are barred by bricks, and large patches of plaster have fallen off the walls. It is apparent that nobody has lived here for quite sometime. Creepers cover the outer walls, and small branches and shrubs pour out from inside the house through the upper windows. Despite the barbed wire fencing, the property has been vandalized as evident from the graffiti covering the walls. It’s shame that the house is in such a deplorable condition, because this is no ordinary house. It’s a historic monument—the world’s first house built using reinforced concrete.

Photo credit: Eric Bajart/Wikimedia