When one mentions the architecture of Germany during World War Two, the first ideas that come to mind are not the possibilities for new growth in the 21st century. But that is exactly what the Nazi bunkers that were built provide for us today. In Berlin, these bunkers are a monolithic and often oppressive reminder of the past, but are also ripe for intelligent thought about what they can be used for in the future. More information and images after the break.
As the Second World War was coming closer and closer to Berlin, the Third Reich implemented construction on over two hundred air raid shelters for civilians, as well as on large flak towers for air defense and an extensive network of underground shelters for the more important members of the government. The air raid shelters were scattered throughout the capital, giving nearly the entire population of 4 million in Berlin a safe place during attack. There were also three main flak towers built, in the Tiergarten, Friedrichshain, and Humboldthain. These were used primarily as air defense bunkers and as shelter for the soldiers stationed in Berlin. The most famous bunker in Berlin, the Fuhrerbunker, was part of a large complex of underground bunkers built to protect the elite of the Reich, and stretched for miles under the center of the city.
