Buildings, like many other things, wear down over time, so it's no surprise that cities and countrysides are home to abandoned lighthouses and misused warehouses. But a rising architectural approach called adaptive reuse offers a way to give a second life to these structures.

It can offer a lot of useful solutions for the surrounding area, like low-income or student housing, community centers, or mixed-use venues. And since the industry is picking up so much steam, we at Bored Panda decided to expand one of our existing series and make a new list of some of the most surprising repurposed properties.

#1 A Beautiful Old Church Was Converted Into An Awesome Climbing Center, Retaining Original Features Like Stain Glass Windows And An Altar (Manchester Climbing Center, UK)

Image credits: deespose

#2 Boekhandel Dominicanen In Maastricht, The Netherlands. A Bookstore In A 13th Century Gothic Church

Image credits: ExtremeOccident

#3 Former Olive Mill Turned Into Home In Italy

Image credits: tobago_88

#4 My Local Library Moved Into An Old Grocery Store

Image credits: bumtheben

#5 The Place Where Julius Caesar Was Murdered Is Now A Sanctuary For Cats

Image credits: gunslayerjj

#6 A Supermarket In An Old Theater In Venice, Italy

Image credits: NubiSparse

#7 This Walgreens Is In An Old Bank

Image credits: acol0mbian

#8 My Hotel Used To Be A Prison

Image credits: Savings-Spirit-3702

#9 This Old Church Has Been Converted To Self-Catering Accommodation In Scotland

Image credits: JMASTERS_01

#10 My Airbnb Was An Entire House Built Inside A Barn

Image credits: jbells1245

#11 One Of Our Local Libraries Moved Into An Old Marsh Supermarket

Image credits: blt08

#12 I Converted A School Bus Into My House

Image credits: reddit.com

#13 This Church Has Been Converted Into A Bar

Image credits: Hera2990

#14 My Apartment For The Night In Porto, Portugal Has A Preserved 12th Century Wall And Staircase Encased In The Bedroom

Image credits: Sirnando138

#15 These Old Silos In Oklahoma Were Converted To A Rock Climbing Gym

Image credits: Mild-Jalapeno

#16 A Trampoline Park Inside A Former Church

Image credits: papa-emeritus

#17 The Parking Garage Turned Into 44 Apartments In Wichita, Kansas

Image credits: Broadway Autopark

#18 The Gym I Go To Is Renovating. They Knocked A Few Walls Down And Revealed It Used To Be A Hollywood Video

Image credits: f1sh_

#19 My Apartment, A Converted Church From The 1800s, On A Cold Evening In London

Image credits: reddit.com

#20 Our Table At The Local Cafe Is Positioned Over A Medieval Well

Image credits: D1T1A

#21 My Hotel Used To Be A Prison

Image credits: Savings-Spirit-3702

#22 This Massive Library In Barcelona Is Built In What Was Formerly A Water Deposit Built In 1874

The pillars and vaults, inspired by the Romans, are this large as the water was held in a pool on the roof

Image credits: Suissetralia

#23 Synagogue Turned Into A Café In Trnava, Slovakia

Image credits: kiwi2703

#24 A Grocery Store Inside A 3rd Century Roman Imperial Palace In Croatia

Image credits: FranjoTahy

#25 Dragons Den Ropes Course In Homestead Inside Of What Used To Be Mary Magdalene Church

Image credits: Yeaga

#26 La Piscine – André Diligent Art And Industrial Museum, Which Opened Its Doors On October 21, 2001, Is Installed On The Site Of The Former Art Deco Municipal Swimming Pool

Image credits: museelapiscine

#27 This Old School NYC Subway Entrance Got Turned Into A Subway Entrance

Image credits: huebomb

#28 Every Apartment In This Block Has Been Turned Into A Cafe Or Restaurant

Image credits: youdoublearewhy

#29 These Silos Were Turned Into Apartments

Image credits: moonburial

#30 Stayed In A Boeing 747 Converted To A Hostel At Arlanda Airport, Sweden (Jumbo Stay)

Image credits: EntirelyForgettable

#31 This Church That Has Been Converted Into A Tesco

Image credits: krispykremeys

#32 Atocha Tropical Garden In Madrid, Spain. The Building Once Was The Old Train Station Before The Transportation Hub Was Expanded To Include Its High-Speed Train Links

The sprawling garden contains 7,000 plants from more than 260 species.

Image credits: Daderot

#33 The Floor In The Design Building At My College Is The Basketball Court It Used To Be

Image credits: hermigerd

#34 The Underground Vault Of Maryland Trust Was One Of The Few Structures To Survive The Baltimore Fire. Today, It Is Used As A Boardroom In The Springhill Suites Hotel

The Baltimore fire of 1903 destroyed almost every building in Downtown Baltimore, causing $2.5 billon in damage.

Image credits: snowmanonaraindeer

#35 Grand Avenue Mall. The Way It Was Remade Into Apartments Turned It Into A Somewhat Surreal Space

Image credits: Lat3nt

#36 Waterstones Book Shop - Bradford, West Yorkshire

Image credits: tommyh4790

#37 This Old Movie Theater Turned Into A Gym (Long Island, NY, USA - Via Colossal)

Image credits: 3q49gh9q34

#38 Juerg Judin House, Berlin, Germany. Was Originally A Gas Station Built In The 1950s

Image credits: dwell.com

#39 This Is The New Life Of A Rescued And Repurposed Gothic-Arch Barn Near Manassas, VA

Image credits: Dont_Tell_Me_Now

#40 Red Phone Box Repurposed Into A Mini-Cafe

Image credits: krkrbnsn

#41 This Fast Food Drive Thru Used To Be A Car Wash

Image credits: garagehirohata

#42 This Grain Silo Converted Into A Home

Image credits: JollyRoger_

#43 This Bar At My Hotel Used To Be A Bank Vault

Image credits: WontonWisdom

#44 My University Converted A Nearby Church Into A Lecture Hall

Image credits: RandomUser3248

#45 The McDonald's Has A Retired Aircraft Repurposed As A Playground

Image credits: sqillmao

#46 The Carvings Around My Doorframe - 18th Century Converted Manor

Image credits: Myneckmyguac

#47 Our Spirit Halloween Used To Be A Christian Bookstore, And The Signage Is Still Up

Image credits: tactiphile

#48 Peckham Levels, A Multistory Car Park In London, England, Converted Into A Food And Entertainment Venue By Carl Turner Architects In 2018

Image credits: archineering

#49 Gas Station Turned Into A Plant Material Shop

Image credits: Out_There_

#50 Dublin Church Transformed Into An Insurance Company’s Headquarters

Image credits: suburbannite

#51 Castle Turned Into Prison; Prison Turned Into Hotel - Oxford

Image credits: StNeotsCitizen

#52 Rock Climbing Gym In Old Movie Theater

Image credits: Interlachen

#53 Last Weekend I Visited The 1933 Slaughterhouse In Shanghai. The Building Has Been Converted Into A Design Hub With Cafes And Shops

Image credits: HiddenArchitect

#54 Found This Amazing Spot In Colorado Springs. I Love Old Repurposed Buildings - The Principal's Office Brewery And Cafe. Straight Up Awesome Repurpose Of A 100-Year-Old School

Image credits: brewerhm

#55 From Gas Holder To Ostrava Concert Building

Image credits: DrBrianMay

#56 My Local Mall's Old-Timey Bank That Got Turned Into A Pinball Arcade

Image credits: WindyFromWater7

#57 Local Football Stadium Is Being Turned Into A Popup Medical Clinic

Image credits: parothed28

#58 An Old British Telephone Box Which Was Decommissioned From Public Use. This One In Bath Has Been Turned Into A Flower Bed

Image credits: JakeWalkin

#59 Old Theatre Turned Into A Supermarket, The Walls Are Still Covered In Art (Venice)

Image credits: Breadytospiral

#60 13th-Century Church Converted To A Bookstore

Image credits: faithistorment

#61 My Store In Houston, TX Used To Be A Movie Theater

Image credits: postmadrone27

#62 Vermont Converted Barn - Cozy Living Room

Image credits: dirtandglass

#63 A Brewery In My Hometown Converted A Church Into Their Taproom/Brewery

Image credits: myteamgood

#64 The White House Swimming Pool [1933] To The White House Press Room [2021]

Image credits: whitehousemuseum.org

#65 New Business Only Removed Half Of The Old Sign. That, Or You Can Now Ink Your Kids

Image credits: WargWrestler

#66 My Airbnb Gym Has Chandeliers

Image credits: MoneyMuggs

#67 An Old Barn Near Me Got Converted Into A McDonald's

Image credits: tom_cruisesteeth

#68 Converted A Retired Ambulance Into A Mobile Tech Repair Office

Image credits: elishalewisusaf

#69 This Building Opened As The Lansdowne Picture Palace In 1914, Was Repurposed As A Nightclub In The 1950s And Is Now A Sainsbury’s Local Supermarket. Sheffield, UK

Image credits: VelvetSpoonRoutine

#70 I Converted A Van Into A Home And Now Work Remotely And Travel Full-Time

Image credits: danziehartlieb

#71 Pinball Arcade In A Former Bank. (Terre Haute, Indiana) (Bank Of Pinball)

Image credits: BenjaminHarvey

#72 Michigan Theater In Detroit. Now Turned Into A Parking Garage

Image credits: JCPhotography_mi

#73 Old Baptist Church Being Turned Into Spirit Halloween

Image credits: Bmchris44

#74 Church Converted Into A Brewery In Indianapolis, Indiana

Image credits: ssfoxx27

#75 This Bank Turned Into A Cookies Store

Image credits: bangntillmybrainrots

#76 From Small Reservoir To Small Home. Africa

Image credits: herewearethereyougo

#77 A Fantastic Looking Building

Image credits: NouveauDeco

#78 Het Arresthuis Is A Hotel In Roermond. The 19th-Century Building Was A Working Prison Until 2007. A 2011 Makeover Repurposed Cells Into Minimalist Chic Rooms And Suites

Image credits: hetarresthuis

#79 Former Target Turned Into A Walmart, They Painted The Target Orbs Yellow Instead Of Removing Them

Image credits: landofgay

#80 This Phone Booth Turned Into A Fish Tank

Image credits: lovemymaltese

#81 Local Pub Has An Old Well Turned Into A Fish Tank

Image credits: watty-rugby

#82 Cozy Converted Church I Stayed In

Image credits: Halo0_0

#83 This House Is A Converted Indoor Pool, The Basement Is The Bottom Of The Pool

Image credits: thefootster

#84 Dining In A Converted Train Carriage

Image credits: Str33twise84

#85 You Can Tell That This Restaurant Used To Be Called Mango Chill

Image credits: jonmon6691

#86 Church Of Sushi

Image credits: Jackson_M_Bueller

#87 That's Cool, But Are We Just Going To Gloss Over The Presumably Spine-Tingling Story Of Why The Side Entrance To Your Lab Has Been Bricked Over For Decades

Image credits: McfaddenGeoff

#88 Just Finished Signing The Lease On The Most Gorgeous Waterfront Loft In A Repurposed Historical Mill Building Downtown, And We Could Not Be More Excited

Image credits: veetalbert

#89 Original Brickwork From 1780 Preserved In A Beauty Shop

Image credits: pineapplehead_123

#90 Cleverly Repurposed And Disguised 5G Tower

Image credits: LuckyWonderful

#91 Our Local Toys "R" Us Became A Gun Store But Kept The Designs

Image credits: AgentOfEarth616

#92 This Walmart Replaced A Former Target But Instead Of Removing The Balls They Painted Them Yellow

Image credits: Nextarity

#93 This Church Was Converted To Townhomes

Image credits: Balj

#94 This Bank That Was Repurposed Into A Subway

Image credits: shotsbyjoshua

#95 This Walmart Repurposed The Grain Silo From The Original Property

Image credits: MrTuckinator

#96 This Taco Bell Restaurant Is Constructed From Repurposed Shipping Containers

Image credits: Spartapug

#97 Restaurant, In The Same Building As A Blockbuster Used To Be, Uses VHS Tapes As Wall Decor

Image credits: ajcapes

#98 Fire Station Turned Into Apartments

Image credits: miguel0717

#99 Church Turned Coffee House In Seward, Alaska

Image credits: KrispyKayak

#100 A Church Turned Into A Concert Venue In Pittsburgh, PA

Image credits: Camerafiend

#101 The Amish By My House Own An Old Airplane Hanger They Turned Into A Hockey Rink

Image credits: Beardedrugbymonster

#102 This Toys "R" Us Turned Into A Gun Store

Image credits: ArcaneRaver23

#103 Sightseeing: Tesco In A Church

Image credits: helpmytonguehurts

#104 This Pizza Place That Was Once A Bank

Image credits: reddit.com

#105 This 19th Century Methodist Church In Darlington, UK, Was Converted Into "Bathroom World"

Image credits: r10p24b

#106 This Doctor's Office Preserved Graffiti From When The Building Was A Abandoned Industrial Building

Image credits: SomeDumbPenguin

#107 Sears Store At My Mall Was Turned Into A Fake Mega Church For A TV Show

Image credits: QuicklyThisWay

#108 An Old Telephone Box In My Village Turned Into A Book Swap

Image credits: Goatgirl_3

#109 Old Phone Box Turned Into A Defibrillator

Image credits: alex1234509

#110 Old Gas Station Turned Into A Subway With Covered Seating

Image credits: CountryBlumpky

#111 A Local Grocery Store Got Converted Into A Rapid Testing / Vaccination Site

Image credits: Zealousideal-Beat-27

#112 This Church Converted Into A Climbing Center

Image credits: UrbanKrag

#113 This Gas Station Converted To A House

Image credits: CliveBixby22

#114 An Old Movie Theater In Jackson, WY, Was Repurposed Into A Hand-Fired Pizza Restaurant

Image credits: Exmo_therapist

#115 This Repurposed Drive Thru Car Wash

Image credits: Cozy_Caterpillar

#116 An Old Church Repurposed Into A Dentist Office In The Netherlands

Image credits: bollebo

#117 This Repurposed Blockbuster Store

Image credits: BobaliciousBob

#118 A Former Church In Folkestone Has Been Converted Into A Pub

Image credits: Duffers123

#119 This Old Blockbuster Store Was Turned Into A Daycare And They Repurposed The Sign

Image credits: fraddydaddy

#120 A Local Church Converted Into A Pub (Springfield, OR)

Image credits: SluttyMuffler

#121 Archery Point Converted To A Bathroom In This Castle Spire

Image credits: AceMcClean

#122 Repurposed Payphone Booths At My University Have Campus Computers In Them

Image credits: KingCrane

#123 White Castle Turned Into An Urgent Care. Mansfield, Ohio

Image credits: Europe_1986

#124 Former Public Bathhouse In Chicago, Illinois, Is Now A Private Residence

Image credits: KrispyKayak

#125 Former Flak Tower, Now Aquatic Zoo In Vienna

Image credits: dasfeueristschuld

#126 A Dispensary In A Former Church

Image credits: shameless_gay_alt

#127 The Scarface Chainsaw Scene Location Is Now A CVS

Image credits: beevyhoots

#128 This Building Was A Fire Station. Salem, Massachusetts

Image credits: sverdrupian

#129 I Can Imagine Those Apartments Smell Like Pink Bubble Gum

Image credits: DaveSalter_

#130 This Toys "R" Us Turned Into A Liquor Store

Image credits: enCloud9

#131 This Baseball Diamond Gets Turned Into A Huge Skating Rink In Winter

Image credits: theodore55

#132 DC History Center Converted Into An Apple Store

Image credits: UndertakerDuties

#133 This Repurposed Old Phone Box Being Used To Sell Cannabis CBD Oils. Dr. Who Moving Up In High Life

Image credits: Jbladez

#134 A School-House In Kansas Turned Into An Apartment Building

Image credits: Analog-Celestial

#135 Police Station In A Former Church Building. Vienna, VA, USA

Image credits: sonofabitch

#136 The Bathrooms At This Dunkin' Donuts In Reykjavik, Iceland, Are In An Old Bank Vault

Image credits: dpu80

#137 A Repurposed Bus/Trolley Car Used For Outdoor Dining

Image credits: Bma1500

#138 This Bob Evans Repurposed Into A Laundromat

Image credits: MortifyMore

#139 They Repurposed This Old McDonald's Into A Pot Shop

Image credits: yum_paste

#140 This 17th Century Pub Near My Work Has Been Converted To A Starbucks

Image credits: hattorihanzo5