World War Two air raid shelter from 1937 found during Abaceria market renovation works

During the remodeling works of the l'Abaceria market in Barcelona, workers came across a vestige of the Spanish Civil War: an air-raid shelter measuring 68 meters, built in 1937. With a capacity for 240 people, the structure remains unfinished and unlined. After being documented, it will be sealed for future archaeological inspections.

construction workers uncovering a concrete stairwell leading down into a dark unfinished underground shelter, 68-meter-long tunnel with rough untreated walls, exposed rebar and gravel floor, portable LED work lights casting harsh shadows, measuring tape and surveying equipment on tripod, one worker holding a tablet documenting the structure, another inspecting a corroded ventilation shaft, photorealistic technical illustration, cinematic lighting, damp concrete texture, dust particles in the air, archaeological excavation atmosphere, high detail industrial scene

Emergency construction using mass concrete techniques 🏗️

The shelter was built with mass concrete poured directly onto the ground, without formwork or steel reinforcement, which explains its rough state. The cross-section, gallery-type, measures about 2 meters wide by 2.5 meters high. Lacking lining, the concrete joints and plank marks are visible. Technicians speculate that the priority was immediate protection, not the final finish.

Luxury Airbnb for 240 guests (no bathroom or WiFi) 😂

So, if it were listed on Idealista today, the description would be: cozy open-plan shelter with industrial charm, 68 linear meters, ideal for digital nomads with a phobia of bombers. The lack of lining gives it that vintage touch that is so popular, although the acoustic insulation leaves something to be desired when shells fall. Luckily, the future tenants will be archaeologists, not tourists.