Bunker-Converted Holiday Homes

UK design studio Corstorphine & Wright works in collaboration with structural engineer Symmetrys to convert a WWII bunker into a holiday home. It is located in Dorset, UK, and overlooks the English Channel by the village of Ringstead. The holiday home features two bedrooms and has a bunker built in 1939. Notably, there is a bomb blast window that allows natural light to flow into the home. It is also a retained elements to playfully nod to the building's rich wartime history, shaping the hole to appear like a bomb blast.

Director of the studio Jonny Plant speaks to Dezeen about the project, stating "We wanted to repurpose the derelict structure as a holiday home, but do so in such a way that allows the history and historical significance of the building to be read and experienced by anybody staying in the building. Despite the physical challenges, the most important thing for us as designers was to tell the story of the bunker. Had we plastered and painted the walls, installed standard fittings and timber floors, all sense of the original building would have been lost. It is imperative that when you stay in the bunker, you are aware that you are staying in a bunker, not any other holiday home and that you are experiencing history."