What’s Happening: Work recently wrapped on transforming the World War II–era Hamburg Bunker into a lifestyle hub complete with restaurants, nightclubs, and a Hard Rock hotel.

The Download: When it comes to Brutalist landmarks, few surpass the Hamburg Bunker in sheer brutality. The concrete behemoth has a particularly challenging history: Built at the orders of Adolf Hitler following Berlin’s air raids in the early 1940s, it was once equipped with powerful anti-aircraft cannons, and nearly 25,000 people sought shelter within during a World War II bombing. In the ensuing decades, parts of the flak tower were converted into shops and artist studios as the nearby St. Pauli neighborhood gentrified into a party palace. And thanks to entrepreneur Thomas Matzen and a $67 million boost from the HafenCity project that helped create the city’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall and curvy Marco Polo Tower, the monstrous structure has been transformed into a full-on “hipster hub.”

Its new incarnation features restaurants, sports facilities, a concert hall, nightclub, boxing gym, and a five-story Hard Rock hotel, all tied together with a leafy path snaking the stoic exterior. A minty-hued pyramidal extension with foliage-filled roofs tops off the whole thing. Of course, anything that touches Germany’s Nazi era usually proves controversial; the Hamburg Bunker was no exception. Critics voiced concern that the renovation, particularly the added greenery, may dilute the architecture’s historical weight. To that end, little of its fraught past is acknowledged inside beyond information boards, but there are plans to create a nearby memorial to victims of the Nazi regime and slave laborers who built the site in just 300 days. For now, locals are enjoying the forested pathways and savoring views from the city’s highest outdoor garden, which stares upon the like-minded Elbphilharmonie across the harbor.

In Their Own Words: As long as heritage isn’t destroyed, “there are good reasons to put [bunkers and other military structures] to new use,” Andreas Putz, a professor of building conservation at the Technical University of Munich, tells Bloomberg. “In Hamburg, there’s public interest in maintaining the project and taking care of it. And you can’t always assume that for each of these constructions.”

Surface Says: We certainly didn’t have a Hard Rock hotel in a former Nazi bunker on our 2024 bingo cards.

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When it was built in the 1600s, the Lisbon building now occupied by Locke de Santa Joana hosted a different kind of guest entirely: nuns. Now, Brooklyn studio Post Company has redone its guest rooms and Barcelona’s Lázaro Rosa-Violàn has reimagined its common areas to recast the former convent’s palatial architecture as boutique lodgings for discerning travelers.

The former’s residential roots shine in the suite-style rooms, where glowing orange kitchenettes and oak-and-glass partitions allow for a continuous flow of light and visual warmth. The studio embraced the historic architecture by creating sitting rooms and bedroom layouts flanked by pillars or underneath soaring arched ceilings. It makes for a breathtaking sanctum—albeit of a different sort, these days—to return to after a day spent out and about in Lisbon.

Celebrating the richness of African craft—and the expertise of its artisans—has always been central to Peter Mabeo’s practice. The Botswana-based designer behind Mabeo Studio has collaborated with the likes of Fendi, Patricia Urquiola, and Claesson Koivisto Rune to bring those creations to the design world’s upper echelons, but his latest launch may be his biggest milestone yet.

Mabeo recently joined forces with Design Within Reach to create the seven-piece Lesire Collection, which pays homage to the crochet techniques mastered by South African women. From a storage bench to a floor mirror, each piece is crafted from richly grained panga panga wood sustainably sourced from a forestry stewardship organization in Mozambique. Mabeo tempers the hardwood’s rigidity with gently rhythmic scallops that impart richness, depth, and whimsy. Most importantly, they leave one eager to learn about its backstory.

Ahead of the official start of the U.S. Open, Swiss athleticwear brand On Running brought the worlds of sports, music, and fashion together in Brooklyn. A downtown-cool crowd turned out to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to see a match between tennis pros Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli. After the match, Yaeji, Memphy, Oscar Nñ, and Young Teesh took turns spinning DJ sets.

When was it? Aug. 21

Where was it? Duggal Greenhouse, Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Who was there? Chris Black, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Danny Bowien, Alex Consani, Thomas Doherty, Honey Balenciaga, Julez Smith, and Isan Elba.

Hacin is a multidisciplinary architecture firm dedicated to design excellence and client service. Working at all scales, the firm’s services include architecture and interior design, graphic design and branding, and adaptive reuse.

Surface Says: Hacin imbues its work with a strong sense of place, especially in hometown Boston. Just look at the award-winning Whitney Hotel in Beacon Hill for proof: its thoughtfully expressive design has a pinch of New England flair and exudes a casual sophistication that impeccably matches the Beantown vibe.

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