November 5, 2015

Resource: Blog

Tags: Architecture and Design, Engineering

Designers are always pushing boundaries. Instead of building in plain sight, these designers chose to create subterranean structures. Check out these four awesome underground spaces.

1. Wieliczka Salt Mine
   This unique spot, located in Poland, shows that architects have been thinking outside the box for centuries. According to Curbed, this underground structure, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was first excavated around the 13th century. For the past 700 years, artists and architects have added new details and adornments to the mine – most of which were created using natural materials found around the space. There are even breathtaking chandeliers crafted from salt that glisten like real crystal.
2. Woodlyn Park
   Fans of “The Lord of the Rings” books likely have this spot on their travel wish lists already. That’s because Woodlyn Park, located in New Zealand, is a hobbit motel, meaning it was modeled after the underground dwellings of the fictional series’ mythical protagonists. Homedit explained that the motel was built into a hillside and was mainly crafted from polystyrene blocks. This material helps keep the spacious rooms, which hold up to six people each, stay heated in the winter and chilled in the summer.
3. Villa Vals
   Located in Switzerland, Villa Vals is an innovative chalet that’s largely located underground. Curbed explained that it was constructed in a classic Alpine style, with the exception being its subterranean placement. Once guests enter through the villa’s unique oval-shaped, street-level entrance, they’re technically inside a hill. The structure is essentially a long tube that twist and turns beneath the earth. Rooms use electricity generated by a local dam and feature windows that offer beautiful views.

SOURCES
http://www.homedit.com/10-spectacular-underground-homes-around-the-world/

http://curbed.com/archives/2015/11/02/underground-buildings-subterranean-architecture.php