$5.2M London Mansion Used to Be a Secret Cold War Bunker

Every so often, a real estate listing turns into a neat mini history lesson. Such is the case with this $5.2M "Glass House," currently on the market in the Chiselhurst area of London. Contrary to its delicate name, the five-bedroom home was originally built during the Cold War in the early 1950s as a secret nuclear bunker for government officials. As the listing tells it, the structure was one of four "Regional Control Centers" in London, and had been "fully equipped with showers, food, water and fuel stores," not to mention a "map room, dormitory and diesel generators which powered the electrical, communication and air filtration systems." Today, all that is long gone. The structure was abandoned soon after it was built and sat in decay until 2008, when it was bought up and turned into a luxury home.

The two-year renovation involved carving windows and doors from the thick concrete walls, turning a deeply excavated central area into a courtyard swimming pool, and adding an atrium-style glass roof. Per the listing, newer amenities include a triple-garage, game room, and au pair suite built right on the lot.

· Kemnal Road, Chislehurst [JDM Estate Agents via The Telegraph]
· How a 1940s Dutch Bunker Became a Tiny Vacation Home [Curbed National]
· Come Explore the World's Only Underground Bunker Town [Curbed National]