With Cold War hysteria growing, architects, engineers, and designers in the post-World War Two era created small bomb shelters for single families, as well as large-scale underground shelters for entire communities. The Atomville design was specifically for air bases and military installations-- to house personnel and equipment.
Paul László papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
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These drawings display the level of detail and engineering that was put into designing a bomb shelter for home (backyard) use. The specifications take into account any large-scale shockwaves that might hit the entrance and air vents above ground, and the slope of the ground around the shelter.
Paul Laszlo (1900-1993): Hertz bomb shelter
Rental car company founder John Hertz commissioned Laszlo to build a bomb shelter in the backyard of his Woodland Hills, Calif. ranch, due to Hertz' concern over a possible nuclear attack on the Los Angeles area. Laszlo spent years designing the structure, as well as researching the building codes and discussing the effects of nuclear fallout with experts. According to archival material, Laszlo even tried to witness a nuclear blast through contacting the Office of Civil Defense for permission to travel to a military base. The Hertz shelter was equipped with sleeping areas, kitchen, bathroom, elevator, stairs, and an escape hatch. The Architecture and Design Collection also houses the Roland Coate archive, which includes plans for the Hertz house and bomb shelter addition.
Los Angeles, Calif.; Woodland Hills, Calif.