He began to see their dilapidation as an advantage: Anything he painted on them inherited the patina of past centuries.

FORBES: Masterpieces For Everyone? The Case Of The Socialist Art Forger Tom Keating [Book Excerpt]

For now, however, part of the allure of Shanghai for Deco aficionados is the general dilapidation of many buildings, which can give explorers the feeling at times of unearthing architectural fossils.

WSJ: Touring Asia's Art Deco Gems in Shanghai and Napier, New Zealand