These subterranean structures demonstrate that there is plenty of fun to be had below the surface of the earth. Although underground structures may seem like a relatively new idea, this kind of construction is common in many ancient civilizations. In the contemporary era, it is more than just homes that are being embedded within the earth.
In recent years, many companies have relied on subterranean architecture to give their establishment a unique look and design. These commercial buildings may lack foot traffic but they offer a unique experience that is unavailable above ground. Some of these subterranean structures include tunneled sneaker stores, submerged espresso bars and even underground museums.
Aside from commercial use, underground architecture offers a number of benefits for residential homes. Not only are these homes more private but they are often cooler and quieter than structures located above ground. Some of these unique residential homes include subterranean cliff houses, lush underground abodes and homey nuclear bunkers.
28 Stunning Subterranean Structures
From Lush Underground Abodes to Submerged Espresso Bars:
Katherine Pendrill — Sep 10, 2015 — Art & Design
28
Subterranean Cliff Houses
Open Platform for Architecture's Casa Brutale is a Striking Glass Home
27
Submerged Luxury Homes
H2OME Offers Luxury Living Space Under the Ocean
26
Extremely Split Houses
Villa Kogelhof by Paul de Ruiter Architects is Dramatically Divided
25
Luxurious Nuclear Protected Bunkers
This Underground Home Was Built to Survive War in Style
24
Subterranean School Facilities
BIG Has Designed an Art Building Underneath This School Field
23
Submerged Mountain Museums
This Massive Concrete Structure is Partially Embedded in a Mountainside
22
Submerged Luxury Homes
Dubai's Floating Seahorse Homes Offer Views of Underwater Marine Life
21
Secluded Panoramic Abodes
House H by AOZ Creates Privacy without Compromising Stellar Views
20
Beautified Bomb Shelters
The Bunker Pavilion is a Reclaimed Refuge with Contemporary Comforts
19
Sunlit Subterranean Parks (UPDATE)
New York's Lowline Lab Will be a Prototype of the Real Lowline
18
Majestic Driveway Homes
KWK Promes Has Transformed This Driveway Into Art
17
Homey Nuclear Bunkers
The $1.7 Million Nuclear Bunker is a Home within a Home
16
Subterranean Espresso Bars
This Toronto Espresso Bar is Located in the City's Underground PATH
15
Shrouded Garden Ateliers
Atelier Pam & Jenny is a Charming Studio in Belguim
14
Reworked Bomb Shelter Farms
These Bomb Shelters Have Been Made into Underground Farms
13
Lush Underground Abodes
This Clever Home Design is Half Hidden to Make for More Space
12
Community Enrichment Projects
This Danish Recycling Center by BIG is a Local Asset
11
Subterranean Theaters
The Rotherhithe Shaft is Being Incorporated Into an Underground Theater
10
Wooden Ark-Like Abodes
'The Barn' House Resembles a Modern Noah's Ark
9
Underground Garage-Inspired Offices
Carlo Bagliani Transforms a Garage into an Architect's Office
8
Sunlit Underground Parks
The Lowline Underground Park is Planned For New York
7
Artistic LED-Lit Tunnels
The Light Lab Installs a Modern Tunnel at King's Cross
6
Underground Transport Skateparks
The House of Vans Skatepark is in Waterloo Station
5
Subterranean Salt Museums
This Salt Mine Has Been Converted into a Museum
4
Tunneled Sneaker Stores
The Sneakerboy Store is an Underground Passage to the Future
3
Supersonic Moving Sidewalks
NBBJ is Hoping to Replace the Circle Line in London a Mobile Pavement
2
Subterranean Bike Trails
The Mega Underground Bike Park is a BMX Travel Dream
1
Tunnel-Based Farms
'Growing Underground' is the World's First Urban Underground Farm
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Hydro-Positive Microhomes
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Architectural Community Spaces
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Coastal Timber Retreats
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Elevated Urban Skate Venues
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Converted Industrial Homes
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Artful Sculptural Umbrella Stands
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Metal-Based Concrete Homes
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Sustainable Underground Cellars
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Curved Green Roof-Topped Museums
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Sustainable Off-Grid Remote Retreats
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Waterfall Cafe Pavilions
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Modernist Art-Deco Cafés
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Adaptive Family Residences
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Attic Above Garden Brings Serene Living to a Compact Elevated Space
Outdoor-Focused Residential Developments
Concrete Amsterdam Finishes the Fishtown Urby Project
Modernist Home Renovations
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Minimalist Concrete Complexes
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Terracotta-Wrapped Village Hotels
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Floating Wetland Bookstore
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Architecturally Stunning Cultural Landmarks
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Tranquil Courtyard Homes
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Inward-Focused House Architecture
Inverted House Redefines the Boundary Between House and Fence
Compact 3d-Printed Housing
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Organically Printed Homes
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3D-Printed Canopy Shelters
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Forest-Edge Timber Homes
Timbertop House by Atelier Kastelic Buffey Anchors in Canada’s Woods
Elevated Flood Refuge Homes
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Industrial Café Interiors
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Cave-Like Exposed Concrete Homes
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Parisian Social Housing Projects
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Carved Coffee Spaces
Watchhouse Park Avenue South by Thomas Mcbrien Architects Shapes Space
Modern Dark Tonal Homes
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Bamboo Forest Structures
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Inversion Living Concepts
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Park-Covered Structural Buildings
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Moon-Bound Architectural Installations
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Elevated Budget-Friendly Hotel Designs
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Repurposed Concrete Structures
Architecture Research Practice Designed the Tetris House
Staggered Modern Apartments
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Innovative Steel Laneway Houses
Weiss Architecture & Urbanism Limited Presents a Striking Project
Reimagined Edwardian Homes
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Cave-Inspired 3D-Printed Homes
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Hotel-Inspired Renovations
Studio &Space Transforms Amsterdam Zuid Home with Custom Finishes
Sustainable Green-Integrated Towers
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Rammed Earth Galleries
The Museum Ehrhardt by Kéré Architecture in Plüschow, Germany
Futuristic Cultural Spaces
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Organic Cliffside Retreats
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3d-Printed Vaulted Dwelling
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Nature-Rooted Family Retreats
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Compact Urban Residences
The Stealth House by Specht Novak Redefines Private Living in Austin
Boldly Designed Minimal Cafes
Boiler Coffee Opens a Serene Spot in a Narrow Urban Gap
Forest-Treetop Retreats
The MORE Cabin Floats 60 Feet Above the Forest on a Single Post
Underwater Concrete Printing Systems
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Wavy Concrete Roof-Topped Homes
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Minimalist Semi-Detached Victorian Residences
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Urban Roofscape Projects
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Hidden Resort Homes
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Floating Courtyard Homes
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Dark Timber Forest Houses
MORFEUS arkitekter Unveiled Solem Forest House
Organic Form Galleries
Gaur NYC Experience Centre in India Uses Cave-Inspired Spatial Design
Sophisticated Government Office Designs
Agata Kurzela Tackles a Heritage Building in Abu Dhabi
Moat-Edge Family Homes
The Antriya House Unveils a Multi-Generational Layout Shaped Around Water
Toronto Healing Shelters
Anduhyaun Emergency Shelter Nods to Indigenous Traditions to Aid Recovery
Diplomatic Shaded Designs
The US Consulate General in Nogales Redefines Civic Architecture
Industrial Loft Homes
The Casa MRGT unveils a Multi Level Residence Within an Industrial Building
Preserved Family Homes
Nang House Accommodates Three Generations Within a Layered Structure
Earth-Brick Cultural Centers
Goethe-Institut Dakar by Kéré Architecture Uses a Courtyard Layout
Hillside Concrete Retreats
This Concrete House Blends Sculptural Form with Panoramic Views
Burnt Orange Walled Residences
Raúl Sánchez Architects Designs the Earthy Casa Magarola
Concrete Courtyard Houses
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Basement-Altered Workspaces
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Layered Living Residence Designs
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Industrial Landmark Stadiums
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Golf-Inspired Textural Club Designs
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Beachside Architectural Retreat
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Volcanic Visitor Architecture
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Speculative Shelter Builds
Asympta by Leopold Banchini Architects Explores Ancient Landscapes
Concrete Pavilion Restaurants
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Industrial Canal Restaurants
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Revived Stone Sheds
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Grotto-Like Punctuated Restaurants
Luchetti Krelle Designs the Cibaria Restaurant in Sydney
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Pavilion-Style Art Homes
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Unconventional Triangular Barnhouses
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Coastal Terraced Villas
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Cultural Green Libraries
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Lake-Inspired Retail Interiors
Studio Gypsandconcrete Designed a Gift Shop Around Reflected Water
Sun-Inspired Disc-Topped Museums
SMAR Architecture Studio Designs the Science Island Museum
Brutalist Hotel Expansions
Hotel Sevilla by Zeller & Moye Pairs Concrete Design & a Historic Villa
Building-Nestled Compact Cafes
A Triangular Prism Chapel Cafe Creates Calm in Bucharest
Thoughtfully Contemporary Museum Designs
Innauer-Matt Architekten Designs the Museum Bezau
Strategically Proportioned Residential Buildings
ACDF Architecture Completes a Gatineau Project
Brutalist Suburban Family Houses
Pandolfini Architects Designs the South Yarra House
Textured Glass Landmarks
Helsinki Design and Architecture Museum Designed as Clear Public Pavilion
Earthened Architecture Pavilions
Khalil Morad El Ghilali & El Mehdi Belyasmine Design a Pavilion
Vaulted Pink Complexes
Babel Housing Mexico by V Taller is a Sculptural Tower with Vaulted Design
Domed Shelter-Like Holiday Homes
Anastasiya Dudik Designs the HATA Building in California
Forest Sanctuary Homes
The Sadowski House near Warsaw Showcases a Modern Forest Retreat
Local Geological History-Inspired Buildings
Salon Alper Derinbogaz Designs the Quartz Plaza
Refined Modern Dwellings
The Silver House Reinterprets a Traditional Home with Minimalist Design
Residential Mountain Retreats
The Avber House Fuse Concrete & Timber to Respond to Alpine Terrain
Adaptive Bunker Housing
The SAR Residence by OAD Converts Military Bunkers into a Coastal Home
Hillside Embedded Residences
The House in the Slope Harmonizes Architecture with Riverside Terrain
Minimal Cork Residences
Atelier Local House in Valongo Rethinks Heritage and Simplicity
Slender Alley Dwelling Revivals
The Brown House Uses Ecological Materials to Redefine Urban Infill
Sculptural Ruin Residences
The House of Horns by WOJR Fuses Ruin, Light and Landscape
Redeveloped Industrial Cafés
Ironworks Café Transforms an Old Factory into a Culinary Hub
Blue-Accented Rooftop Residences
Bruzkus Greenberg Embraces Tranquility & Intrigue in This Design
Minimal Retail Spatial Strategies
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Brick Market Interior Design
The LINEHOUSE Ink Ink Food Market Uses a Greenhouse-Style Hall
Localized Coffee Space Renovations
MINOR lab Reimagines the Fushan Coffee Shop in Haikou
Compact Urban Cafes
The Chapel by Vinklu Transforms a Bucharest Lot into a Narrow Coffee Shop
Courtyard Apartment Conversions
BekArch Transforms a Bakery Workshop into a Prague Apartment
Cave-Style Coastal Viewpoints
3andwich Design Completes the Coastal Blue Insight Cave Space
Compact Madrid Residences
The Former Shop by Burr Studio Becomes an Efficient Two-Level Home
Terraced Coastal Roofscapes
Los Cabos Home by Zozaya Arquitectos Layers Roofs into Living Spaces
Repurposed Workplace Training Hubs
Cachet Group Transformed the Anytime Fitness Basement
Industrial Apartment Designs
The FM Apartment in São Paulo Showcases Vibrant Industrial Interiors