These subterranean structures demonstrate that there is plenty of fun to be had below the surface of the earth. Although underground structures may seem like a relatively new idea, this kind of construction is common in many ancient civilizations. In the contemporary era, it is more than just homes that are being embedded within the earth.
In recent years, many companies have relied on subterranean architecture to give their establishment a unique look and design. These commercial buildings may lack foot traffic but they offer a unique experience that is unavailable above ground. Some of these subterranean structures include tunneled sneaker stores, submerged espresso bars and even underground museums.
Aside from commercial use, underground architecture offers a number of benefits for residential homes. Not only are these homes more private but they are often cooler and quieter than structures located above ground. Some of these unique residential homes include subterranean cliff houses, lush underground abodes and homey nuclear bunkers.
28 Stunning Subterranean Structures
From Lush Underground Abodes to Submerged Espresso Bars:
Katherine Pendrill — Sep 10, 2015 — Art & Design

28
Subterranean Cliff Houses
Open Platform for Architecture's Casa Brutale is a Striking Glass Home

27
Submerged Luxury Homes
H2OME Offers Luxury Living Space Under the Ocean
26
Extremely Split Houses
Villa Kogelhof by Paul de Ruiter Architects is Dramatically Divided
25
Luxurious Nuclear Protected Bunkers
This Underground Home Was Built to Survive War in Style
24
Subterranean School Facilities
BIG Has Designed an Art Building Underneath This School Field
23
Submerged Mountain Museums
This Massive Concrete Structure is Partially Embedded in a Mountainside
22
Submerged Luxury Homes
Dubai's Floating Seahorse Homes Offer Views of Underwater Marine Life
21
Secluded Panoramic Abodes
House H by AOZ Creates Privacy without Compromising Stellar Views
20
Beautified Bomb Shelters
The Bunker Pavilion is a Reclaimed Refuge with Contemporary Comforts
19
Sunlit Subterranean Parks (UPDATE)
New York's Lowline Lab Will be a Prototype of the Real Lowline
18
Majestic Driveway Homes
KWK Promes Has Transformed This Driveway Into Art
17
Homey Nuclear Bunkers
The $1.7 Million Nuclear Bunker is a Home within a Home
16
Subterranean Espresso Bars
This Toronto Espresso Bar is Located in the City's Underground PATH
15
Shrouded Garden Ateliers
Atelier Pam & Jenny is a Charming Studio in Belguim
14
Reworked Bomb Shelter Farms
These Bomb Shelters Have Been Made into Underground Farms
13
Lush Underground Abodes
This Clever Home Design is Half Hidden to Make for More Space
12
Community Enrichment Projects
This Danish Recycling Center by BIG is a Local Asset
11
Subterranean Theaters
The Rotherhithe Shaft is Being Incorporated Into an Underground Theater
10
Wooden Ark-Like Abodes
'The Barn' House Resembles a Modern Noah's Ark
9
Underground Garage-Inspired Offices
Carlo Bagliani Transforms a Garage into an Architect's Office
8
Sunlit Underground Parks
The Lowline Underground Park is Planned For New York
7
Artistic LED-Lit Tunnels
The Light Lab Installs a Modern Tunnel at King's Cross
6
Underground Transport Skateparks
The House of Vans Skatepark is in Waterloo Station
5
Subterranean Salt Museums
This Salt Mine Has Been Converted into a Museum
4
Tunneled Sneaker Stores
The Sneakerboy Store is an Underground Passage to the Future
3
Supersonic Moving Sidewalks
NBBJ is Hoping to Replace the Circle Line in London a Mobile Pavement
2
Subterranean Bike Trails
The Mega Underground Bike Park is a BMX Travel Dream
1
Tunnel-Based Farms
'Growing Underground' is the World's First Urban Underground Farm
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Serenely Stilted Houses
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Wooden Pillar Japanese Cafes
Schemata Architects Completes the Blue Bottle Coffee Cafe Design
Water-Ready Sports Car Concepts
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Prefabricated Miniature Home Concepts
i29 Creates the Câpsula Concept for Dutch Design Week
Nature-Connecting Warm Apartments
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Treehouse-Inspired Norwegian Residences
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Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
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Retro Nightlife-Inspired Hotels
Necchi Architecture Designs the Hôtel Château d'Eau
Edgy Futuristic Activations
The Oakley Exoplanetary Bunker in Paris is Otherworldly
Minimal Mid-Century Hollywood Homes
Studio Qasabian Designs the Mulholland Home in LA
Tranquil Elevated Tiny Homes
Jan Tyrpekl Designs the Cozy Zen House in Austria
Mud-Plastered Interior Earthy Homes
Studio Terratects Completes the Urul House in Kerala
Brutalist-Inpsired Nature Getaways
The New Vipp Tunnel is Designed by Room 11 in Tasmania
Beautifully Sculptural Concrete Museums
Qatar Museums Unveils Official Images of the Lusail Museum
H-Shaped Structural Mountain Homes
Studio B Architecture + Interiors Designs the Villa H
Abandoned Bar-Transformed Apartments
XStudio Develops the New House M Workshop Project
Cooling Bus Shelter Designs
EMT Madrid Spearheads the Quest for Comfortable Public Transportation
Dramatic Doomsday Bunker Images
Alastair Philip Wiper Documents a Subterranean Fallout Shelter
Philosophical Residential Skyscrapers
Mercedes-Benz Places is Now Under Construction in Miami
Silver Curtain Concrete Homes
Local Studio Bangkok Tokyo Architecture Designs the House K
Virtual Pub Museums
Heineken Pub Museums Spotlight Important Cultural Locations
Exoskeleton Stepped-Back Skyscrapers
Foster + Partners Constructed the BDO Unibank Inc Towers
Black-Timber Stealthy Pavilions
Aptdotapt Designs the Drop-Stop Pavilion in the Mountains
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Remote Work-Catering Modern Homes
Studio Plow and Brit Epperson Creates a Workspace-Home
Monochromatic Minimal Cozy Homes
DIG Architects Designs the Vaulted Monochrome Haus
Partially Buried Tranquil Retreats
WillemsenU Completes the House Under the Ground
Accessible Space Travel Systems
This Space Elevator Concept by Jordan William Hughes is Wondrous
Underwater Pool Window Residences
SMStudio Designs the Hastings-Sunrise Project in Vancouver
High Concrete Walled Homes
Cesar Mancillas Creates a Linear Home with Tranquil Elements
Gallery-Like Elevated Retail Designs
Format Architecture Office Designs the Leica Store & Gallery
Prefabricated Exposed Structural Homes
Workshop Architecture Inc Designs the Unfinished House
Large Headquarter-Transformed Housing
Studio Egret West Designs Hayes Park Central and South
Swimming Pool-Inspired Venues
Swim Club in Austin, Texas Features Submarine Views
Eco-Conscious Slim Skyscrapers
Muraba and RCR Arquitectes Join to Design the Muraba Veil
Illuminated Cave-Like Offices
Javier Senosiain Arquitectos Designs Rugged Office in Mexico
Blocky Extended Transformed Bunaglows
O'Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects Adds Levels to a Bunalow
Wooden Surrounded Concrete Homes
Omer Arbel Presents Designs for a Range of Washington State Homes
Doughnut-Shaped Elevated Houses
Studio Saxe Designs the Sinfornia Verde in Carate, Costa Rica
Subterranean Courtyard Galleries
Buzz Designs the Hermit Space Yards in Beijing Park
Affordable Social Housing Campuses
Studio Libeskind Creates The Atrium at Sumner Houses
Elevated Timber-Clad Homes
Habitable Form Designs the Victory Bay House on Kiawah Island
Modern Minimal Concrete Homes
Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados Designs the Copas Home
Shed-Like Storage Facilities
Lahznimmo Architects Designs the Powerhouse Castle Hill
Nature-Leveraging Home Designs
PAE Designs the Casa Coaba Tucked in the Hillsides
Robust Monolithic Walled Homes
H Arquitectes Completes the Casa 1736 in Barcelona
Rustic Ruin-Inspired Aquariums
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio Designs The Sea of Cortez Research Center
Suspended Off-Grid Treetop Homes
Snøhetta and Tor Helge Dokka Designs the House Dokka
Futuristic Curved Islandic Homes
The Collective Studio Co., Ltd Designs the Nest Residence
Japanese-Inspired Elevated Pied-à-Terres
In Situ & Partners Turns to a Minimal Design Aesthetic
Daylight-Filled Treetop Residences
An Architect Couple Designs the Unique Atwater House
Pyramidal Concrete Japanese Homes
IGArchitects Completed the Pyramid Hut Concrete Home
Greek Countryside Rural Retreats
Invisible Studio Created the House in an Olive Grove in Corfu
Rustic Seaside Coastal Residences
Espacio 18 Arquitectura Designs the Casa Tobi by the Sea
Concrete Boxes-Overlapping Homes
FujiwaraMuro Architects Designs the House in Tsurumi-ku
Underground Station Expansions
Foster + Partners Introduces Two Stations on the Sydney Metro
Brutalist Concrete Tower Apartments
Archmongers Renovates the Trellick Tower in London
Origami-Style Shelled Residences
Adrian James Architects Designs the Copper Bottom House
Elevated Treetop Modern Cabins
NAMO Architecture & i29 Architects Create the Buitenverblijf Nest
Exposed Concrete Stealthy Homes
OFIS Aritekti Designs the Villa Eternal Way in Slovenia
Metal-Wrapped Exhibition Spaces
Trace Architecture Office Creates a Structural Steel Wrap
Barrel-Vaulted Roof Parks
Bear Architects Designs the Zubitegi Park in Spain
Compacted Earth Restaurant Designs
Carlo Ratti Associati Designs the Quisimangia Restaurant
Urban Skyline-View Apartments
i29 Designs the Apartment with a View in Amsterdam
Angular Stealthy Holiday Retreats
The Stay Under the Radar Home is on a Former Military Base
Underwater Bicycle Parks
VenhoevenCS Architecture + Urbanism Completes the IJboulevard
Raw Concrete Industrial Homes
Studio Cochi Architects Designs the House in Nishizaki
Live-In Art Gallery Homes
Casa Galeria is a Home That Doubles as an Art Gallery
Graphic-Accented Brutalist Apartments
Jean Verville Designs a Creative Laboratory in Quebec City
Textural Brick Structures
Bennetts Associates & Citizens Design Bureau Create BEAM Cultural Center
Compact Calming Homes
Batay-Csorba Architects Masterfully Designed a Modern Brick Home in Toronto
White Concrete Boxy Museums
Thomas Phifer Designs the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Ethereal Ambiance Speakeasies
NCDA Designs the Artifact Bar with a Subterranean Look
Temple-Inspired Striking Galleries
Abin Design Studio Designs a Gallery with Temple Themes
Railway-Tucked Speakeasy Bars
Cake Architecture Designs the Low-Lit New SOMA 2.0 Speakeasy
Concrete-Supportive Bridged Homes
Stempel & Tesar Design the Villa Sidonius in Czech Republic
Concealed Modern Barrel Stores
Studio Nine Architects Conceals a Store Under a Visitor Center
Structural Concrete Arts Centers
DUO Finishes the Nanchang OCT Contemporary Arts Centre
Three-Story Garden Residences
AtelierM Designed the Nirvana House in Pilar, Argentina
Traditional Sustainable School Designs
Heatherwick Studio Showcases Plans for Universidad Ean
Subway-Lined Waved Panels
Ateneo Used 3D Tech to Form Sculptural Walls Around Wuyuanwan Station
Concrete Cultural Visitor Centers
UAD Completes the Villagers' Home Center in Zhejiang Province
U-Shaped Atrium Hotels
JSa Designs the Hotel Volga in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City
Red Concrete Exhibition Centers
Mix Architecture Designs the Red Box Exhibition Center
Spine-Based Central Design Buildings
Foster + Partners Designs the Hangzhou Center
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Aegean Architecture-Inspired Home Designs
Studio Kali Designs the Arkhe Collection of Furniture
Cave-Like Folded Residences
Earthscape Studio Creates the Unique Structural Wild House
Pale Yellow Minimal Townhomes
i.B. Archstudio Designs the VVV Townhouse with Pastel Hues
Open-Air Perforated Concrete Homes
MM++ Architects Designs the Anchor House in Vietnam
Larch Slatted Pump Houses
High Broughton Architects Designs the Kew Pumping Station
Understated Modernist Artful Homes
Child Studio Designs a Townhome in London's Belgravia Area
Garden-Topped Sunken Museums
Kengo Kuma & Associates Design the CMP Inspiration Museum
Rammed Earth Community Buildings
Suphasidh Architects Design the Chonburi Multi-Purpose Building
Shaded Modern Outdoor Furniture
mmcité street furniture Designs the UFO Shelter for Outdoors
Alleyway-Inspired Art Centers
Neri&Hu Completes the New Bund Performing Arts Centre
Low-Lying Limestone-Clad Schools
Amelia Tavella Architectes Designs the Fossil Building
Transformed Disused Steelwork Structures
Delugan Meissl Designs Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse
City-Framing Concrete Residences
Cadence Architects Completes the Design of the K-Home
Rustic Cultural Architectural Buildings
Abin Design Studio Designed the Gallery House in Bensberia
Unconventional Chinese Housing Estates
Atelier GOM Designs the Longnan Garden Estate
Mass-Timber Transport Hubs
BIG and A+ Architecture Build the Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub
Exposed Concrete Steelwork Homes
Objekt Architecten Designs the Lamat House in Wichelen
Industrial History-Inspired Art Spaces
Coffey Architects Designs the Tannery in London
Architectural Pottery Museums
1+1>2 Architects Designs the Bat Trang Pottery Museum
Trapezoidal Coastal Beach Houses
Emergentes Architectures Sàrl Designed the Dreal House in Chile
Renovated Retro Ski Lodges
Hetedik Műterem and Studio Konstella Extend the Normafa Ski Lodge
Rainforest Lodged Residences
Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura Designs A Lodging in the Pigüe
Sleek Contemporary Elevated Retreats
Brown & Brown Architects Designs the Tidal House
Rustic Contemporary Bunkhouses
SHED Architecture & Design Unveil the Guemes Island Bunkhouse
Aircraft-Inspired Retreats
Sander van Schaik Designs the Stay Under the Radar Retreat
Contemporary Cantilevered Residences
Alterstudio Architecture Presents the Westview Residence
Sloped Site Concrete Residences
OODA Designs the Oeiras House Outside of Lisbon, Portugal
Dual Level Concrete Galleries
Morphosis Designs the Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas
Barrel Vault-Topped Metro Stations
KA Architecture Studio Designs the Jahad Metro Plaza
Plaza-Surrounding Housing Complexes
Tariq Khayyat Design Partners Designs the H Residence
Elevated Water Towers
Temperaturas Extremas Designs The Bird & Mammal Shelter and Water Reservoir
Wine Cellar-Converted Summer Homes
Kapsimalis Architects Designs the Summer House in Mesaria
Star-Shaped Structural Pavilions
Minsuk Cho Designs the Archipelagic Void Shelter in London
Dynamic Concrete Modern Buildings
Atelier Matias Mosquera Designs the Shire Building
Sloped Concrete Roofed Restaurants
RAD+ar Completes the Aruma Restaurant Design in Jakarta
Brutalist-Inspired Apartment Redesigns
Studio Est Redesigns a Battersea Power Station Apartment
Greenery-Surrounding Lush Homes
Ho Khue Architects Creates the Nest House in Vietnam
Renovated Terraced London Home
EBBA Architects Renovates and Brightens the Camden Residence
Port Building-Nestled Museums
Colectivo C733 Installs a Museum inside of a Mexican Port Building
Golden Age-Honoring Housing Blocks
Local Studios Create the Seestadt Aspern Housing Project
Archaeological Protection Initiatives
The Remains of the Curtain Playhouse are Uncovered in London
Vaulted Compact Merged Homes
Studio Tololo Ugarte Designs the Tiny Vaulted Catalejo Home
Slaugherhouse-Transformed Unique Museums
Cave Bureau Creates the Anthropocene Museum 9.0
Structural Lightwell Mexican Homes
HW Studio Carves a Geometric Lightwell into the Warm Home
Knitted New York Subways
The Straphangers Lounge Recreates the New York Subway with Crochet
Unique Urban Event Hires
London is Renting Tube Stations, Cable Cars, and Piers for Private Hire
Terraced Naturally Lit Homes
Unknown Works Designs the Bright Oasis Home in London
Perforated Brick Wall Workshops
Tropical Space Designed the Terra Cotta Workshop