# Dome Bunker Refurbs The 'Concrete Mushrooms' Project Creates New Eco-Hostels By Katherinev123 | Published 2009-10-22 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eco-hostels References: [blog.concrete-mushrooms](http://blog.concrete-mushrooms.com/?page_id=112) Graduate students Gyler Mydyti and Elian Stefa are attempting to turn the abandoned concrete bunkers—of which there are more than 750,000—in Albania into economic structures including eco-hostels, cafés and gift shops. The bunkers are the remains of Communist dictator Enver Hoxha and his policies of paranoid xenophobia. In additon to creating economic locations, eco-hostels, and decreasing the chance the bunkers will be turned into landfills, the project aims to reclaim the symbolism behind the structures. Find out more about the [Concrete Mushrooms project](http://blog.concrete-mushrooms.com/?page_id=112) by visiting the blog. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 47% | Activity: 46% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Concrete Bunker Refurbishment:** Opportunity for repurposing abandoned concrete bunkers into economic structures like eco-hostels and cafes. - **Sustainable Hospitality:** Trend towards eco-hostels that promote sustainability and environmental responsibility. - **Symbolic Architecture Influence:** Growing interest in reclaiming the symbolism behind structures and reinterpreting them for modern use. ### Who This Affects Most - **Hospitality:** The hospitality industry can explore opportunities in eco-hostels and sustainable accommodation solutions. - **Architecture and Design:** Architectural firms and designers can leverage the trend of repurposing existing structures such as concrete bunkers. - **Tourism:** The tourism industry can incorporate the unique experience of staying in refurbished concrete bunkers as a tourist attraction. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Bunker-Converted Holiday Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/corstorphine-wright.md) - [Military Base-Transformed Housing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buitenplaats-koningsweg.md) - [Underground Autonomous Shelter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plan-b-1.md) - [Mushroom-Constructed Room Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mush-room.md) - [Dramatic Doomsday Bunker Images](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alastair-philip-wiper.md) - [Intimate High-Altitude Cottages](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/altihut.md) - [Altered Pyramid Concrete Monuments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pyramid-of-tirana.md) - [Sculptural Concrete Hotel Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sleeping-lab.md) - [Up-Cycled Glamping Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ek-solutions.md)