Private shelters go mainstream

Private shelters no longer resemble Cold War bunkers or millionaire fantasies. Architect Bogusław Barnaś argues they are becoming a practical, value-adding feature of modern single-family homes in Poland. Today, building a private shelter typically costs several hundred thousand złoty—roughly the price of a car rather than a luxury villa.

In Barnaś’s projects, shelters are designed as everyday spaces, integrated into the home from…