With there being a lot of tension in the Middle East and world economies struggling a new trend appears to be evolving.
Of course you’ll need the income for it.
No more safe rooms. They are building fortresses.
The super-rich are redefining this concept, creating luxurious fortresses designed to withstand anything except nuclear Armageddon. Globally renowned high-net-worth design studios, such as SHH, are increasingly catering to such requests. They have recently designed a London house packed with a cinema room and a reinforced door system for lockdown scenarios.
(If you’ve watched a video in the UK, they may need it.)
The concept of a fortress has transformed over time. It’s no longer just about an impenetrable safe room hidden in the basement. The contemporary fortress is the entire property, fortified with advanced security measures and cutting-edge technology. However, safety and security aren’t the only concerns. These fortresses are also designed with a prime focus on entertainment.
Consider the example of Al Corbi. As the president and founder of SAFE (Strategically Armored & Fortified Environments), Corbi believes in combining survival with enjoyment. His designs are far from mundane. Imagine a bunker with a bowling alley, or an underground escape tunnel that doubles as a go-kart track.
Corbi has fortified a 27-floor private home in Mumbai for billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, and is currently working on a vast house in the US, featuring blast-proof doors, unbreakable windows, biometric door-entry systems, a 30-foot-deep moat with a swing bridge, water cannons, and even a defensive ring of fire.
These wealthy individuals are not building fortresses just for the sake of it. They’re responding to an increasingly volatile world, brimming with threats of climate change, terrorism, potential apocalyptic events, and the ever-present pandemic threat that became all too real in 2020.
As the affluent continue to fortify their homes, the trend has evolved from securing specific rooms like bathrooms or primary suites to securing entire residences. For instance, a house in Highgate was designed where the cinema room doubles as the safe room, equipped with secure doors, an independent filtered air supply, a kitchenette, and provisions sufficient to sustain a family for over a week.
There’s been a lot of news that Meta head Mark Zuckerburg is building a huge compound in Hawaii that includes a full working farm.
