Architecture

Former missile silos turned into luxury disaster survival condos

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Luxury Survival Condos are high-end disaster shelters built in converted missile silos
Luxury Survival Condos are high-end disaster shelters built in converted missile silos
The Luxury Survival Condos are aimed at providing safety to those who have bought a condo in the event of a disaster
The Luxury Survival Condos are based in the US
A utility vehicle at one of the shelters
The shelters have a command center
The shelters have a communication center
Food can be grown on-site
The shelters have classrooms
Internet access is available in the shelters
The shelters have a gym
The shelters have a climbing wall
A view of one of the shelter climbing walls
A movie theater at one of the shelters
A lounge in one of the shelter condos
Bunk-beds in one of the shelter condos
A children's room in one of the shelter condos
A master bedroom in one of the shelter condos
The shelter condos have "simulated view" windows to give the sense of above-ground normality
A living space in one of the shelter condos
A living area in one of the shelter condos
A bathroom in one of the shelter condos
A breakfast bar in one of the shelter condos
A kitchen in one of the shelter condos
The shelter condos have high-end appliances
A fridge and hob in one of the shelter condos
A TV area in one of the shelter condos
A washing machine and drier in one of the shelter condos
A section of one of the silo shelters
A diagram of an living area in one of the shelter condos
A diagram of an living area in one of the shelter condos
A diagram of an living area in one of the shelter condos
A diagram of a itchen in one of the shelter condos
A floor-plan of a shelter condo
A floor-plan of a shelter condo
A floor-plan of a shelter condo
A floor-plan of a shelter condo
A floor-plan of a shelter condo
View gallery - 37 images

When a major natural disaster or nuclear war strikes, survival will be the main priority for most us. For some, though, the biggest problem will be deciding whether to watch a movie or go for a swim. Residents at the luxury Survival Condo resort will be safe, secure and not short of entertainment.

For those with adequately burgeoning bank accounts, there is no small selection of survival shelters from which to choose. Indeed, such is demand that the Vivos Group is building an entire networks of underground survival shelters. Although not yet operating on that scale, Survival Condos already has completed and fully booked one shelter, with work on a second in progress.

The US-based condos are built in former Atlas missile silos. Having been retired, the silos became available for other uses. According to the Survival Condos website, the hardened structures, with 9 ft (2.7 m)-thick concrete walls, were originally designed to stand up to a direct nuclear strike. In addition, the large dome that tops the shelters can apparently withstand winds of up to 500 mph (805 km/h). These features make them ideal for use as survival shelters.

A section of one of the silo shelters

"By starting our project with a Formerly Used Defense Site, we have a US$120 million dollar head start," writes Survival Condos owner Larry Hall on the company website. "A competitor has to spend that much just to catch up, we can go dollar for dollar from that point on, but that is one heck of a head start on the value proposition."

Hall explained to Gizmag that he came to the idea amid concerns following 9/11. Converting them and fitting them out with all the necessary facilities is a project in itself. "These are large complex structures," he said. "The best analogy is that it is like trying to build a ship in a bottle. It takes a lot of planning and engineering coupled with skilled workers."

The stated aim of the shelters, first and foremost, is to provide residents with safety from what lurks outside. Beyond that, they're also designed to provide comfort and luxury. Each has its own set of redundant electricity sources and a redundant water supply with a minimum 75,000 gal (341,000 l) reserve tank. Filtration systems, meanwhile, clear the air of nuclear, biological and chemical agents and there is an on-site medical center. Food is also produced on-site via organic hydroponic and aquaculture setups.

A floor-plan of a shelter condo

Beyond those necessities, the converted silos each have a command and control center, and a communications center with on-site internet subset access. A digital weather station provides information from outside. Other facilities include a pool, spa and gym, a library, a classroom, a movie theater and even a general store.

The silos themselves can house up to 70 people, with residential space split into condos that house either 6-10 people with a full-floor layout or 3-5 people with a half-floor layout. The condos each come with a 5-year supply of freeze-dried and dehydrated food per person and are fitted with "high-end stainless appliances" and LED lighting throughout. Amongst the other features included are 50-inch TVs, home automation systems, jacuzzi baths and "simulated view" windows to give the sense of above-ground normality.

The first silo was completed in 2012, with the second due to be completed by the end of 2016. For those who fancy the peace of mind, a full-floor condo suite will set you back $3 million, with a half-floor suite costing $1.5 million.

Source: Luxury Survival Condos

View gallery - 37 images
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10 comments
Soylent
Am I the only one who wants to set up a Fallout Vault-style vacation park?
i nominate myself to be overseer...
Ross Jenkins
These condos are hardly luxorous, I feel sorry for anyone that lives with enough fear in their hearts to pay millions of $$$ to live under ground in the middle of nowhere. If anything remotely like a nuclear war breaks out it would just become an expensive coffin...
jeffbloggs
Hmmmm So let me get this straight....to survive a nuclear holocaust you buy a condo in a ex-nuclear missile silo that has been irradiated by the nuclear missile it housed for decades? Smart.
No wonder they only have 5 years of food supplies.... ;)
BTW on a design note: the interior decorator should be forced to live there for a year...it's downright ugly and unfriendly, that alone would kill me before the food runs out.
Facebook User
This silo used to be on a target list. The Russian list, the Chinese list etc...Now, do you really believe they no longer target these silos just because someone told them, "We took the missiles out and decommissioned them, really we did!" Yeah, I really want to live in a silo too!
Nairda
Ah,.. a lovely escape for the rats that were likely contributors to the destruction in the first place.
Here's hoping one of the maintenance personnel turns off the air before closing the lid.
Guy Lakekan
Looks like the kind of place that would only be filled by the kind of nasty people that would cause a nuclear war so hope their last days would be confined and miserable. Daft ending like that 2012 movie! Saved the wrong people !
Arnold Stonehouse
So just to be clear....the only "survivors" of an EOTW disaster will be the RICH and old ones? This will be the nucleus of the NWO that is dreamed of in this paranoid fantasy of doom? May I wish you best of luck with that.....I think you may need it.....
Vince Pack
I wonder what the purchase price is for a decommissioned silo. I can think of many good uses besides accomodating the overly-funded, conspiracy theorist, prepper set.
Can anyone here imagine what it would be like to live in an isolated, underground compound with preppers? I can easily imagine a paramilitary state with the only news sources being vetted by extremely paranoid whackos. Lots of assault rifles, probably some sketchy explosive devices, and an abundance of insane people. No thanks.
I still want a silo of my own, though!
Stephen N Russell
Under then Cold War rules, the US & Russia put missiles out on display at silos before decommisioning silos I say reuse ALL intact silos nationwide for shelters.
Griffin
These properties are far more than people realize.
They are FAR nicer than what most of these commenters live in.
I just wouldn't pay millions to just get a piece of one.
Some are near metro areas and have airstrips and above ground buildings.
MOST OF THE SILOS ARE FILLED IN ARE HORIZONTAL STYLE.