Built in Berlin in 1942 under the direction of Albert Speer, the Boros Bunker, as it is known locally, has a varied history - bomb shelter, Soviet jail, banana depot and venue for hardcore S&M. Then in 2003 advertising supremo Christian Boros bought it and turned it into an exhibition space for his contemporary art collection, with a family home in a glass penthouse on the roof.
Boros calls the overground bomb shelter "a hobby shelter" for himself and wife Karen. In the 4 years since it opened, the bunker has attracted 120,000 visitors with tours in 11 languages. "Nothing better could have happened to this ugly building than to be taken over by the free-spiritedness of art," he said at the opening of a new exhibition in the bunker, the first time the show has changed in four years. The new show includes works by Ai Weiwei, Cosima von Bonin, Olafur Eliasson, Alicja Kwade, Thomas Ruff, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Wolfgang Tiillmans.
Image: Sammlung Boros, Berlin
