Details


Here are some shots showing more details from inside the Bunker. I often wonder if today's children even recognize what this is.
 

These are the original air vents used during WWII to make sure fresh air could get into the building. 

Here's a bit more history on the Bunker itself:

The Bunker is in the former East Berlin. During the divided years, the DDR used it as a storage area for tropical fruit (things that weren't available to the common citizen). When the Wall came down, it went through a number of reincarnations -the most memorable being a techno dance club (my husband visited during that time).

By the mid-1990s, the club got too loud and seedy for the neighborhood and it was closed down. The Bunker stood empty for a number of years until the government decided to auction it off to a private owner. Christian Boros purchased the space in 2003 and hired an architectural firm to redesign it to make it a place where he could both live and showcase his art collection. Renovations were complete in 2007 and the space opened to the public in 2008 (by guided tour only).  
Some photos of the Bunker pre-renovation are here. You can also read more about the Bunker from a NY Times article here.

26 comments:

  1. What an interesting place! Lucky you to have had a tour!

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  2. beauty is in the details

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  3. Makes me shiver ... But great to get a tour.

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  4. i think this is such a good fit for the bunker

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  5. I am truly fascinated by this series, Hal, thank you so much for sharing.

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  6. Fascinating! I imagine that the areas off-limits to the tour are living spaces that are more congenial rather than the stark spaces in your photos. Read part of the NYTimes article of 2007.

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  7. I would never have guessed it once was a storage area for tropical fruit!

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  8. It is a fascinating place for sure, but I can't imagine living in it. How depressing!

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  9. Now why did I think bunkers were built underground! Tres interesting article in the New York Times Hal, and in English :) What a fascinating location for an art display!

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  10. It's quite a different use for a bunker. That old phone, yes, you wonder how many kids even now would grasp what it is.

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  11. Black and white, and it almost seems like we're back in the 40s...

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  12. Too wierd to live in! I would never!

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  13. I'd love to tour that place!

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  14. Dang, Halcyon! I don't think I even know what it is. Some sort of rotary phone? Must have been before my time. :-)

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  15. I really like seeing these details, Hal! I'm thinking B&W is perfect for this post.

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  16. I'm pretty sure even my grown kids would not know what that is! This place certainly has a fascinating history. I enjoyed reading the NY Times article.

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  17. What a fascinating bit of history!

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  18. Wonderful detail shots. I agree with Lois, I bet there are some teenagers who still wouldn't recognize that first shot.

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  19. Fascinating, Hal !
    I like that old phone :)

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  20. I loved seeing such a fascinating place and hearing it's history. That old building has gone through a lot of trials but now it's a home. How nice, is that?

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  21. Interesting history of the place.
    The youngest of the younger generation may not have even seen phones with cords.

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  22. What a fascinating piece of history! Just wonderful to see your photos and read about the Bunker.

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  23. What a cool old phone and such an interesting story about the bunker....now basically an art museum with a house secondary. Love the building has been preserved and so glad that wall FINALLY came down.

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