These former military spaces and fortified bomb shelters have been given a new lease of life. Transformed into unique residences, we've rounded up the most ambitious home conversion projects ranging from stylish city retreats to sprawling subterranean mansions featuring swimming pools, saunas, and private vaults for your prized possessions.
Click or scroll to explore the coolest bunker homes from around the world...
Once condemned by architects as ‘oppressive’ and ‘windowless’, this abandoned Second World War bunker is now a cozy vacation home with beautiful coastal views. The earth-sheltered property features a floor-to-ceiling glazed façade that floods the revamped concrete structure with natural light, and its once-dank interiors are now expertly appointed with plush furnishings.
The Grade II-listed bunker is nestled in the countryside of Dorset in the southwest of England and was once part of the RAF Ringstead radar station, one of several similar structures in the surrounding area.
Today, however, the site has been reimagined as a charming two-bedroom home, complete with a kitchen, living room, dining area, and bathroom.
Architect Johnny Plant told the BBC that when the property was first discovered, it was "a derelict bunker, pretty much buried, very damp and very dark.” It took extensive labor to bring the abandoned shell up to modern standards. “We've stripped it all back, waterproofed it, and insulated it,” Plant explained.
At the front of the Airbnb bunker, there's an enclosed patio that's sheltered from the wind by the bunker's thick stone walls. The scenic spot benefits from fabulous views across the rolling fields and out towards the ocean.
It was important to Plant to maintain the integrity and “essence” of the structure throughout the renovation. "We had to create this opening to look out to the bay, but rather than putting a standard set of doors in, we thought we'd create this blast opening into the wall, which plays into the story of it being a bunker,” he told the BBC.
Located in an affluent neighborhood of Las Vegas, Nevada, a seemingly normal home hides a big secret. In addition to a large ground-level residence, the plot conceals a surprise second home.
Located some 26 feet below ground is this surreal subterranean space, which was built in 1978 for Avon Cosmetics executive Girard B. Henderson in response to mounting Cold War tensions.
The 5,000-square-foot home can be accessed via an elevator and internal staircase and offers five bedrooms and six bathrooms in total.
The home's incredible vintage interior includes a bar kitted out with neon signs and mid-century modern stools, a candy floss-pink kitchen, a dining room with a silk-embossed ceiling, and bathrooms adorned with ornamental columns. There's even mood lighting rigged up to simulate daylight, dusk, night, and dawn.
But the backyard might just win the award for most unusual space. It features a guest house, a spa, waterfalls, fake trees, walls of murals, a dancefloor complete with a disco ball, and even a painted cityscape with twinkling lights so that you’ll never miss the real world. How incredible is that?
Currently, the property is owned by the Stasis Foundation, a nonprofit that conducts and promotes scientific research into cryogenics. The Foundation reportedly bought the property back in 2014 for just under $1.2 million.
The company has tried to offload the unusual underground house multiple times over the years. It was last listed for $5.9 million in February 2023, before it was taken off the market in early 2024. Prior to this, it was listed for a staggering $18 million in 2019, as reported by TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.
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Shrouded by trees in a picturesque spot in Somerset in the south of England, this brick-and-timber-clad structure wasn't always a bustling family home. However, the property's fascinating history may not be immediately clear at first glance.
Built in 1963, the building was formerly a Royal Observer Corps (ROC) headquarters and bunker – the ROC was a civilian defense organization that monitored hostile aircraft in the UK's skies from 1925 to 1995. During the Cold War, they were tasked with manning bunkers across the country in case of nuclear attack.
Known as Observation House, the base was among 29 stations across the nation. Constructed to weather the worst, the property features three-foot-thick walls. Back in its heyday, the building would've housed decontamination rooms, a canteen, dorm rooms, and a three-week supply of rations.
The end of the Cold War signaled the closing of a chapter for the station, and it was abandoned shortly after it was decommissioned in 2001. While the building was left to languish for years, it was given a second lease of life in 2009 when it was renovated and converted into a home.
Brought up to date for modern living, the fortified four-story residence encompasses 8,000 square feet of contemporary living space.
In 2017, Observatory House changed hands and became the home of the Asare-Joy family. With plenty of space to stretch out across the upper floors, the Asare-Joys rent out an apartment on the ground floor via Airbnb. Meanwhile, the subterranean lower story still houses the former station's generators and equipment and remains largely unchanged.
When the Asare-Joys purchased the house for just under $926,000, it included five bedrooms, three living rooms, and a large gym, though it's likely the family has made some changes to the floor plan since.
As it turns out, the home's storied history goes back further than the Cold War. Prior to the construction of the base, the site was reportedly home to a prefab building that housed an ROC center during the Second World War. Volunteers stationed there were responsible for spotting incoming German planes that had infiltrated Britain's airspace. How's that for a home with history?
Aptly named, The Bunker can be found in the idyllic coastal village of Sennen in Cornwall on the UK's rugged southwest coast.
Formerly a Second World War operations bunker, this amazing conversion project proves that with a little imagination, even a submerged shelter can be transformed into a bright and beautiful home.
Thanks to a thorough renovation, the bunker is now a spectacular vacation home that features a light-filled open-plan living room, a kitchen, a utility area, four bedrooms, and three bathrooms. The bright, beautiful retreat is now a world away from its past life.
Despite being located under a mound of earth, the former bunker doesn’t feel dark or dingy. The architects behind its conversion came up with clever ways of drawing extra sunlight inside, including installing sun tunnels into the ceiling of the bunker to channel light down into the property. The sun tunnel in the bedroom even comes with its very own curtain.
The converted property also benefits from all the latest technology and home comforts, including central heating, electricity, hot running water, Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth speaker system, a smart TV, and plenty of appliances for cooking up a storm.
There's even a games room with table tennis and a piano, as well as an interior ventilation system to keep fresh air circulating in the house.
Meanwhile, there's a lovely backyard and paved terrace at the front of the property where holidaymakers can bask in the Cornish sun.
The brainchild of engineer and property developer Larry Hall, this innovative doomsday housing solution, known as Survival Condo, is nestled out of sight beneath the Kansas prairie.
The spacious condominium complex not only features its own cinema, swimming pool, and gym, but each luxury shelter has its own LED "windows" to help you feel connected to the outside world.
Lying 200 feet below the ground, this blast-proof Kansas bunker was built in the early 1960s to house the Atlas series of nuclear missiles.
The site is impressively secure – the fortified front door is fashioned from armored steel, the 9.5-foot-thick walls are made from hardened concrete, and armed guards protect the site. This amazing photo shows the early construction stages of this mammoth conversion project.
12 apartments reside across seven of the 15 floors, with basic suites featuring three bedrooms and two bathrooms each. After something a little more upmarket? One of the plush full-floor condo units with 1,820 square feet of luxury living space was previously on the market via Survival Condo for a cool $2.4 million.
Any resident of the missile bunker needn't worry about boredom, because this place has all the amenities you could ask for. There's a huge, fully equipped fitness center and even an indoor dog park for your pooch to play fetch! And there's more...
The zombie-proof complex also boasts a massive indoor swimming pool, luxurious communal kitchens, a movie theater, a library, and a rock climbing wall. There's a hydroponic vegetable farm, an aquaculture setup that can be used to breed fish, and, of course, a huge area for storing canned goods.
Built to withstand a devastating nuclear warhead detonated within a half-mile radius, this is the ultimate billionaire bunker!
Planned for an undisclosed spot in the Czech countryside, the Oppidum is a shelter concept that combines state-of-the-art security with true luxury and top-notch facilities. The development will involve the conversion of an existing nuclear bunker on the same site, which was built between 1984 and 1994 as a joint project between the former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia (now Czechia and Slovakia).
The entire complex will be operated from an underground control center, with access to communication networks both within the Oppidum and in the outside world. Described as "the largest billionaire bunker in the world", this place may just beat all others when it comes to VIP extras...
The plans are certainly impressive. The secure bunker is slated to include one large 6,750-square-foot apartment and six 1,720-square-foot apartments, each with 13-foot-high ceilings.
Residents will be able to survive in their properties for up to 10 years through both natural and manmade disasters and even long-term power outages, thanks to formidable stocks of non-perishable food, water purification equipment, medical supplies, and surgical facilities. In this bunker, you’ll even find private vaults in which to store precious jewels and artworks.
Other planned amenities include a conference room, a movie theater, a billiards room, a library, and children's playrooms.
Designed for just one buyer, the bunker is the perfect place for a billionaire to house family, close friends, and staff in the event of a major global catastrophe.
The Oppidum will also offer its residents a luxurious swimming pool and wellness spa, flanked by an underground garden featuring simulated natural light.
It's not clear if work is underway on the ambitious complex or if it remains little more than a concept. British newspaper The Guardian has dubbed the plans a "CGI pipe dream", though perhaps the development's status is being kept a secret. Watch this space...
Survivalist property developer Vivos has created a global underground network of apocalypse shelters. Vivos xPoint, pictured here, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota and features a total of 575 converted military bunkers, which can house 10 to 24 residents across 2,200 square feet.
Vivos xPoint is strategically located within a 24-hour drive from most locations within the mainland US and over 100 miles away from the nearest military nuclear targets.
The units cost around $55,000 each and can be fully furnished by Vivos for an additional fee, which makes these affordable bunkers well within reach for many. Vivos has a range of other survivalist complexes across North America and Europe, too...
Concealed underground in the wilds of the American Midwest in a converted Cold War-era bunker, Vivos Indiana is a vast subterranean shelter that can accommodate up to 80 people.
The impressive facility, pictured here, can accommodate its residents for up to a year with no need to venture up to the surface. Big on amenities, the shelter has a huge chef-style kitchen, a cinema, an open-plan lounge, and plenty more to keep its occupants entertained indefinitely.
Vivos Europa One is the company's 76-acre flagship compound in Germany. It was carved from the bedrock beneath a 400-foot mountain by the Soviets during the Cold War.
The now-renovated space includes gymnasiums, theaters, bars, and pools with over 228,000 square feet of living areas.
The complex is no longer accepting applications from potential residents; however, back when spaces were available, the cost for a private apartment started at €2 million ($2.3m).
Thousands of people have reportedly applied to reside in Vivos's range of underground shelters, and there are a number of complexes still said to be under development.
Each converted bunker site will provide access to underground water sources, sewage systems, and enough food and medical supplies to last the apparent impending apocalypse.
Experience a slice of underground living in this former nuclear bunker, which has been skillfully converted into a one-of-a-kind rental. Beckham Creek Cave Lodge sits naturally within the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas near the Buffalo National River and features all the high-end luxuries of a hotel.
The dwelling was originally carved out of a deep cavern in 1989 by businessman John Hays, who wanted to create his own bomb shelter.
Set within 260 acres, it has since been transformed into a luxury vacation home following a million-dollar renovation, which involved adding geothermal heating and channeling a water supply from the natural spring beneath the cave.
While the 6,000-square-foot property sits 35 feet below the ground, it doesn't go without a large flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi throughout. The cave is also home to four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, and a natural rock formation waterfall in the living room.
If the stunning stalactite ceilings aren’t enough to take your breath away, the pad also has a private cinema room and various lofts and balconies. To pass the long evenings, there's a firepit outside for entertaining in the cooler months.
In 2018, the property was listed for sale for just under $2.8 million, and while it's no longer on the market, it's available to rent out.
However, after finding popularity on the Netflix series The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, you may find yourself sitting on a waiting list to stay in this cavernous dream house.
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