Sand fills the abandoned buildings of Kolmanskop, Namibia.

Diamonds enabled German miners to build the town of Kolmanskop replete with a swimming pool, ballroom, bowling alley, x-ray station and even a tram to take local ladies to the shops and back. When easier-to-find diamonds were discovered 270km south of the town in 1928, the local population up and relocated, and by the mid-1950’s it was abandoned and the dunes slowly seeped through doors and windows, reclaiming the town and creating another Namib photographer’s paradise. It’s tempting to rush through the whole town but instead I spent time in just a few buildings, trying to find decisive compositions in a location that’s been used in endless fashion magazines, films and music videos.

© Chris Parkes