A proposal for a bunker aesthetics from Paul Virilio’s archaeology to virtual architecture

This paper aims to contribute to the interdisciplinary study of bunker aesthetics by exploring the symbolic features of these unique environments and their controversial legacy. The term “bunker” encompasses a complex set of constructions that share similar contexts and a paradoxical nature. As illustrated by Paul Virilio’s Bunker Archaeology, bunkers were designed to be both invisible and visible, defensive and offensive, sheltering and menacing, real and virtual. They are remnants of controversial pasts and glimpses of bleak futures.