BUNKER RENAISSANCE: FROM DEFENCE TO DESTINATION

ARCHIP, Architectural Institute in Prague

Project idea

BUNKER RENAISSANCE-
FROM DEFENCE TO DESTINATION
REVIVING THE ROPIK

The defence lines and Řopík never saw use, though they were certainly a deterrent which contributed to the protection of the land. Much was invested in the installation of over 16000 Řopík. My thesis is made in the spirit of continuing this, in my mind, unfinished project.

This is a concept project for a nation wide hiking trail with adventure resorts. The main ambition of the project is to revitalise the industry and economy of the outer regions of the country.

To do this we can construct on the Řopík defence lines using them as trail markers for the trails and foundations for the different buildings.

My thesis focusses on just one on the potential resort locations to create a well organised and clear example of how this can be don. There are many buildings each have their own specific functions. The buildings vary in their placement, some are unique to one region, others are more general in their use and can be found in different locations.

War has moved our national border to those of our economies. To protect the sovereign economy of Czech Republic we need to defend our local industries and crafts which built the foundations of the country.

Project description

Taking an architectural approach to find an evolutionary continuation to these historical structures. Specifically, the thesis aspires to spark a world of creative and technical ideas along the journey of rehabilitation of the bunkers, through the process of adapting and reusing the existing structures for a new purpose while retaining their historic character. Hoping to demonstrate a possible new narrative for the whole country by integrating them into the landscape and cultural heritage while promoting the various assets of The CzechRepublic’s regions.

In 1935, over the course of approximately 15 years, 1,276 heavy and 15,463 light objects were to be built in what was Czechoslovakia. They are found covering the entire border of the Czech Republic. Light fortifications consists of two basic types: Model 36 objects (referred to as old-type objects) Model 37 objects ( modern new-type objects). There are 4 main prototypes that are found in the country A B C D E.
These structures never saw an active use, they became forgotten relics of a bygone era, with many falling into disrepair or being destroyed.

Another problem which helped define the structure of this project, was the lack of economic growth in the regions of the Czech Republic, as well as the loss of old and important cultural industries in the country.

The project has a focus on historical, economic, and cultural aspects, with an emphasis on creating a cultural hub for entertainment and leisure activities, dedicated to repurpos- ing the bunkers and improving interconnectivity in CZ.

Bunkers are part of the narrative such that they symbolize what brings security to the regions; following the bunker line of defence, now represented in forms of production, trade and culture.

An adventure resort as well as a cultural one.
The idea is for the resorts to be spaces that have something to offer for every user. Making them accessible and providing multiple types of activi- ties.

Project Scales:

Cross-country trail 700/1000 km.
30 km distance between Bunker Hut, 100 km between Bunker Camping, and 200 - 300 km distance between Bunker Resorts, accesible by hiking, cycling and car.


Region Division:

The locations of these 5 resorts are chosen based on their proximity to multiple regions along the defence line. Where the economy, culture and industry of the regions can be united in one place, the resort.
In this project we are focused on the second region division.


North West of Czech Republic, the project site is shared to multiple regions: Karlovy Vary, Plzen, Usti nad Labem and Central Bohemia. These are the original bunker locations and Types found in the area. I decided to use only the bunkers and construct upon them, the challenge being to connect 40 bunkers with 100-500 meter gaps and turn them into one project. It was managed by adding a network of ziplines, allowing fast connection between points, developing the site into an adventure park.


Every structure is inspired on the activity or craft it represents depending on its region location. The are all interconnected through zip-lines and paths. Some of them are:

Metallurgy Pavillion represets the metal industry of Usti Nad Labem.
It consists of a column rising through the bunkers which supports the building; it is accessed through the bunker, climbing a ladder up the column into the exhibition space inside. The windows are inspired in the machine gun posts which are iconic features of the Ropik.


Glass pavillion is inspired in Czech Artesanal glass. It consists of 2 floors. The access is through the ramp arriving to Level 2. Inside the pavillion Level 1 is accessed through elevator or stairs. The exhibition space is designed to have strong variation in lighting, which makes an ideal space for glass art exhibitions

The Industry Pavillion is very important in the resort. . There is 1 of them located in each region. The design is rugged indicating the strength and severity of industry.
It’s and open floor plan with ladder access in the center of the column, accessed through the bunker.

The Watchtower inspired on Plzen watchtowers. This structure overlooks the entire adventure park, it’s the highest and tallest building measuring 30 meters. It’s composed of spiral staircase with multiple landings. The observation deck is stepped toward the edge and provides 360 view of the landscape.

The Base Camp are the main buildings.
Located in the center of the resort.
If you arrive by car, you enter first this buildings, it has the lockers the equipment area, the zip line starting trails, etc.
It also has a bunker museum which intends to teach the visitor the history and construction of these structures before staring the trails.

The hotels in case of staying longer and for those arriving from the cross country trail.

Resting points located in multiple places around the park, as for the Canteens.

The resort is meant to be completely sustainable in its resources. Almost like a sustainable bunker village.

Technical information

Incredibly the bunkers can sustain up to 21,000 tons. They are extremely structurally sound.
These structures have historical significance and are worthy of conservations, in this case though rehabilitation, by re- adapting them and re-using.

For construction the bunker is chosen for augmentation of the new structure. To do this a hole is made in the roof and radial holes are drilled to create anchor points for the connection of the old with the new concrete. A precast column can then be placed into the new hole and then fresh concrete fills the gaps and with the correct additives we can achieve a continuous structure, this stable column then supports the rest of the structure which consists of various precast elements.