The Cocondo is nestled between trees, dunes and dense bushes. Behind this name lies a former bunker from the Second World War, which now shines in a new light. The bunker was built in 1943, abandoned in 1945 and redesigned by Dutch designers in 2020. Their goal: to create a place of harmony that respects the historical past while also offering space for modern use.

The bunker is the pilot project of Cocondo, a non-profit organisation that breathes new life into old bunkers on the Dutch coast. The idea behind this is to preserve the cultural heritage of these buildings while protecting the surrounding nature. The Zuid-Hollands Landschap Foundation, which manages the Vineta nature reserve, supports the initiative and makes the historic buildings available.

For the first conversion, the choice fell on a bunker in Hoek van Holland, a region that was severely scarred by the war. Many of the bunkers there are silent witnesses to a time when locals were often forced to live in such buildings after the war. The project takes up this history and combines it with a modern, ecological approach.

The interior design of the modernized bunker was created by Remko Verhaagen and Studio Tomorrow. Natural materials, circular elements and bright design make the compact space appear surprisingly spacious. "The sunken terrace," as it is called, shows how a relic of war can become a place of peace - a model project for the connection between past and future.