Ad memoriam: Salvia officinalis

When we look back in 30 years and some plant species have become extinct, because we worked against nature instead of working in harmony with it, we will wish for a place where we can make up for our mistakes. A place that contains all this diversity and preserves it safely through time. The bunker, in its role as a seed vault, becomes a symbol of hope - a preservation of life, despite humanity's destructive influence, and a reminder of how reliant we are on the Earth’s natural systems. Knowledge is fundamentally lagging behind reality - yes, one could say it arrives essentially late.

The high bunker at Pragsattel was built by Paul Bontatz in 1942, in the middle of World War II, for the protection of people from other people. The walls enclosing the protective area are 1.10m thick and the structure stands 8 stories tall. The materials used in its construction were sourced from the earth and, far from their original composition, stand as a mass of construction material for almost 80 years now. All attempts to repurpose the building failed, e.g. as men's dormitory. When considering bunkers from past wars, particularly World War II, as relics - remaining time witnesses of history - the question of their value in the modern urban landscape arises. While the existing structure is being repurposed due to its architectural value, the massive concrete walls, the addition of new constructions serves research purposes. The bunker’s cold storage capacity at a is now used to preserve seeds. The ground floor receives the seeds, which are then collected in the seven stories above. The added light wood-structure houses a library, seminar rooms, laboratories, and research facilities. Open to the public, the vault serves educational purpose. The seeds are transported upward using a large elevator, similar to mining, in the building's central cylinder. This elevator, along with the existing spiral staircase, serves as the primary means of access. The added annexes are used for emergency access, storage, and restroom facilities. Using this special typology as a resilient monument, a space where the future is not just stored, but nurtured. It is a quiet testament to the fragility and strength of life itself, an echo of humanity’s desire to ensure the past.