Hidden in the heart of the United States lies an unusual but deeply secure structure – a former missile silo converted into an extravagant and highly fortified doomsday condominium. The U.S. government built 72 missile forces during the Cold War, but as tensions eased, most fell into disuse and were eventually dismantled. However, a select few survived, one of which underwent a remarkable transformation into a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art sanctuary designed to withstand any apocalypse.
Inside view of the $3 million Doomsday Condo
We don’t know the exact location of this doomsday apartment, but we do know it’s north of Wichita, Kansas. The massive underground building is fifteen stories deep and has nine-foot-thick walls, making it resistant to nuclear blasts. The entire area can accommodate 75 people and has enough equipment to last them five years.
But this building is nothing like the typical doomsday bunker image that most people have in mind. In fact, it is quite opulent and comes with everything listed below:
Multiple power sources are redundant, meaning that power will always be available regardless of the circumstances.
common areas with TVs, sofas, pool tables, and so on.
a full grocery store in the spirit of Whole Foods.
Cinema Fully equipped apartments with kitchens, laundry, spacious bedrooms, and dressing rooms for every family.
indoor pool.
Rock outcrop.
Fitness center.
HOSPITAL.
Shooting range
Hybrid hydroponic and aquaponic farming system
dog park
Game area
repository [1]
The person responsible for the program
The facility is owned by a man named Larry Hall. He is a doomsday survivalist, former government contractor, and real estate developer. In addition, he holds a master’s degree in business. He built secure data centers and created a weapons database for an Air Force surveillance plane.
In many ways, he is an ideal candidate for this kind of initiative. So his new gig was to create opulent doomsday apartments for the ultra-rich.
This particular silo was built in the 1960s for fifteen million dollars by the US government, and Hall paid three hundred thousand dollars for it. He knew there was a market for doomsday bunkers; he heard of the wealthiest individuals in the nation burying them under their vast estates.
Hall wanted to make sure he could live in his bunker for a very long time. That’s why his group invested a cool twenty million dollars to build this huge underground fortress.
“We thought, ‘Look, if we’re going to build a high-end bunker, I’d hate to have to design it for a year and a half and need protection for two years.’ We then asked. “What would it take for this place to be able to support humans forever?” And it turned out to be a significant expense.” [2]
Design powered by psychology
Research conducted in the 1960s found that being underground for a long time could have psychological effects on individuals. This can include irritability, depression, difficulty concentrating, and personality disorders. For this reason, Hall sought the advice of psychologists to ensure that in designing his doomsday apartment, people would be able to thrive rather than just endure.
According to Hall, the best approach to achieve this is to create the impression that everything is normal and to give individuals a sense of accomplishment.
“What you really want to do is make people feel productive, so you’re going to need everyone to work a four-hour day, and every 30 days people will rotate jobs so you don’t have any points of failure and everyone knows how there do all the work.” [2]
In this situation, the supermarket can help.
According to Halls, the original designs only called this complex level a “warehouse”. But according to the psychologist, he had to make this level look like a scaled-down Whole Foods. Everyone would become depressed if they had to rummage through cardboard boxes of food for months or years.
“So we’ll have people baking bread and making coffee, people will be able to advertise their yoga classes on the cafe’s chalkboard, and we’ll be stacking this deli case full of three different types of tilapia that are grown in the aquaponics facility next door.” ” he said.
The false impression of “normal”
There are “windows” everywhere in the doomsday apartment, which gives the place an overall “normal” feel. Naturally, these are LED screens rather than real windows. These images are under Hall’s control and are taken from outside the bunker. According to him, most people would rather look out the window to see the time of day than at the beach in San Francisco.
“The psychologist drilled into me that my job was to make this place as normal as possible,” Hall recalls. “Nobody wants to be constantly reminded that they’re basically living in a submarine.” [3]
Safe and guarded area
Naturally, this doomsday apartment has an extremely advanced defense system built in, just like any other bunker. The complex houses three armories containing sniper rifles, automatic weapons, gas masks, helmets, and first aid supplies. They also have non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray used by the military.
Outside the building is a remote-controlled .223 pistol. This weapon can be used with a joystick and control panel.
Full spectrum, thermal and night cameras can help you see your target. Alternatively, you can activate the rifle’s auto-defense mode, which fires bursts of three rounds at anything it sees.
“We can also hit them with three-round bursts of paintballs,” he adds. “It will be clear what comes next if they continue on their way to the apartment. [3]
Hall notes that the original purpose of this bunker was a weapons system. It was not an optimistic place. He and his group turned it into a safe, independent architectural experiment.
There will be more Doomsday Condos
By the time Hall finished building his opulent doomsday apartment, buyers had already bought every apartment. According to him, each of them is by definition a millionaire himself. Although they come from all backgrounds, they are all for having this safe haven. They say knowing it’s available when they need it gives them peace of mind.
“It’s like they have concerns that they weren’t consciously aware of, but after they bought it, they realized they felt like a burden had been lifted.” [2]
The world seems to be getting more and more uncertain, so more and more individuals are looking to buy space in a structure like this.
Hall and his crew are already building a second, opulent doomsday apartment, which will result in three times the size of this one.
You might be wondering, is all this “luxury” really necessary? Hall has only one answer for you:
“People wonder why the locals demand so much ‘luxury’ but what they fail to understand is that it’s not about luxury. The secret to survival is this stuff. You start to experience varying degrees of sadness or cabin fever. this is not built in.” [3]
In a fascinating quest for safety and preparedness against a potential disaster, a $3 million apartment has emerged that has transformed a former missile silo into an extravagant retreat. Built by Larry Hall, a former government contractor and survivalist, this luxury underground bunker can hold 75 individuals for five years. Located just north of Wichita, Kansas, it boasts a myriad of amenities, including a grocery store, movie theater, pool, fitness center, hospital, and more, all designed to provide a sense of normalcy and productivity.
Hall’s visionary approach was not only about luxury but was aimed at addressing the potential psychological effects of prolonged underground life. It tapped into psychological research to design the environment, incorporating elements to promote a sense of normalcy, productivity, and engagement. From LED screens simulating windows depicting outdoor scenes to job rotations and a Whole Foods-like supermarket, every detail has been carefully crafted to counteract isolation and maintain a semblance of everyday life.
This highly secure complex, armed with advanced defense systems, reflects a novel architectural experiment, transforming a once military structure into a self-sufficient, secure residential facility. His success was swift; before completion, each unit was sold to self-made millionaires seeking peace amid global uncertainty.
As the world faces increasing uncertainty, interest in such structures is growing. Hall and his team are already working on a bigger, fancier doomsday apartment. Despite the apparent luxury, Hall says these measures are not just about luxury, but essential for mental health and resilience, combating potential feelings of isolation and confinement in extreme situations.
The concept of luxury in such a dwelling may raise eyebrows, but for Hall, it’s a strategic ingredient for survival—a means of mitigating the adverse psychological effects that long-term incarceration might cause. In an uncertain world, these subterranean abodes offer refuge—tangible reassurance for those who expect the worst and seek refuge from potential doomsday scenarios.
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