When reading about the work done by the Landmark Trust in the U.K., which restores historical buildings and makes them suitable for residential use, many of the cases involve buildings that previously had some sort of residential use. In the town of Ibsley, however, there’s something a little different going on — a dramatic transformation involving a structure built during the Second World War that is still standing today.
As Maev Kennedy writes at The Art Newspaper, a concrete structure built as an RAF control tower during the war will soon be put into a very different form of service. As the Landmark Trust’s website notes, the airfield — one of 12 located in the New Forest in southern England — was operational between 1941 and 1944. After its time for military use came to an end, it served as an automotive race track in the 1950s.
Now, Kennedy reports, the control tower will be turned into a residence. The Landmark Trust is currently raising £3.1 million (or just under $4 million) to cover renovations. Once complete, the control tower will be a unique four-bedroom home, with the home scheduled to be open to the public in 2025.
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One amusement park has found that people absolutely willThe renovation process won’t be easy; The Art Newspaper‘s report points out that parts of the structure are crumbling, and there’s also the possibility of a bat colony to contend with. But the Landmark Trust seems confident in their ability to transform the structure, having signed a 99-year lease on the property. And it’s not hard to see the appeal of staying in the building, once the renovations are complete. Besides the historic resonance, you have to imagine the view will be pretty great.
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