'The Playground.' Seaside Sanitarium (Seaside Regional Center) in Waterford, Connecticut. (Robert C. Marsala)

There's something especially eerie about a hospital that has been reclaimed by nature and left to the elements. Once pristine, sterile, and bustling with activity, these once-grand structures are now crumbling in ruins and decay.In his reports from abandoned cities such as Chernobyl, Ukraine and Varosha, Cyprus for his best-selling book "The World Without Us," Alan Weisman wrote that structures crumble as weather does unrepaired damage and other life forms create new habitats. A common structure would begin to fall apart as water eventually leaks into the roof, erodes the wood and rusts the nail.

The hospitals captured in Robert C. Marsala's photos are in this exact state of eerie disrepair, but he also shows these decaying structures in a different light.

"As counter intuitive as it may sound, there is a peaceful beauty in abandoned structures — seeing a snapshot in time of nature taking back the best efforts of man to show its supremacy," Marsala told weather.com. "Also, I think about all the lives that were played out within those walls — moments of joy and suffering that are now lost in time."

Many of the abandoned hospitals and asylums featured in the slideshow above have a curious, visual appeal to photographers and urban explorers, but Conn.-based Marsala believes the structures also need to be recognized for their historical and architectural significance. "Most of these locations are architectural gems and they deserve better than to be left to decay," said Marsala. "Perhaps my documenting them in their current state will inspire people to salvage or repurpose structures of historical significance before they become unsalvageable. People also lived and died within these walls and it is important to give recognition of that."

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Marsala's fascination with abandoned spaces began when, during a Sunday drive with his wifenear Dansville, New York, he spotted a large brick structure off in the distance and decided to investigate. "The building was an abandoned health spa that we entered and toured for a couple of hours. All I had in my camera was Kodachrome 25, but I got some great shots and have never looked back."

Photographing crumbling structures are not always that easy, though. "Each location presents its own set of shooting challenges," said Marsala. "As I do not use any artificial lighting, getting a shot in very dark conditions is always a struggle. I had to rethink my shooting on a recent visit to Belchertown State School. Even though there were numerous access point to the buildings, all of the windows were sealed with plywood, allowing for no light to enter. I came back with a lot of exteriors."

One of Marsala's favorite locations is the Seaside Sanitarium designed by Cass Gilbert in Waterford, Connecticut, and featured in the slideshow above. "It is on Long Island Sound and is in a beautiful location," he said. "I like to go early in the morning and walk around listening to the waves lapping at the shore, sea gulls and the harbor foghorn."

For more on Robert C. Marsala's work, visit his website. His book, "In a Different Light: Photographs of Abandonment," is available on Amazon.