Fascinating reconstruction of the “world war shelter” as a “recreational villa”
Architecture studio Corstorphine & Wright has transformed a World War II shelter in Dorset, UK into a holiday home; With a different window as if a bomb blew it up!
This two-bedroom holiday home, which overlooks the English Channel, was previously a shelter built as part of the Chain Radar Detection System in 1939.
According to Faradid, “Corstorfin and Wright” studio collaborated with Symmetrys structural engineering consulting company to maintain the historical sense of this building by preserving all the existing structure as much as possible.
Johnny Plant, director of Corstorphine & Wright, said: “We wanted to turn this derelict structure into a holiday home, but we wanted to do it in a way that didn't lose the building's history and significance.”
“Despite the physical challenges, the most important thing for us as designers was to tell the story of this shelter,” says Plant. “If we plastered and painted the walls, installed standard fittings and made the floor wooden, all the historical sense of the building would be lost.”
“It's important that when you stay in a refuge, you really feel like you're in a refuge, not a holiday home like all the other holiday homes! You are going to experience history while having fun here.”
The state of the shelter before the renovation
Most of the structure of this 76 square meter shelter is preserved and exposed, but a large hole was made in the front wall to serve as a window.
In a playful nod to the building's wartime history, Korstorphin and Wright created the hole to look like a bomb explosion.
“Building this entry in this way was technically challenging and much debated. “The shareholders strongly supported our proposals because they, like us, believed that such a unique wartime structure required a bold approach.”
Inside the shelter, the rooms were arranged around a central living space. The living area has a wood stove, chairs and a dining table.
The master bedroom is separated from the living room by a glass door, while the kitchen, second bedroom and bathroom are on the sides of the rooms. Another smaller entrance was opened in bomb blast style to let light into the second bedroom.
Korstorfin and Wright wanted the interiors to retain their old features while being comfortable for guests. Concrete walls were exposed and a polished concrete floor was applied to the entire house.
“By not applying any finish to the structural concrete, we were able to maintain the sheltered feel of this home.”
“This meant waterproofing and insulating the building from the outside. A new insulated polished concrete floor with underfloor heating throughout has created a comfortable environment with new furniture and joinery.”
“The concrete has a warm natural color, which, together with the new lighting and the wood burner, has given a pleasant warmth to the spaces.”
