300 inhabitants live in a single building and never leave it
Worthy of the synopsis of a post-apocalyptic film, and yet very real. In the south of Alaska, in the city of Whittier, a building that is, to say the least, unique has been erected. Its specificity? The Begich Towers houses all the inhabitants of the city.
And that is not the only surprising feature of this building. The Begich Towers, also nicknamed “the city under a roof”, are only accessible by a tunnel. Of the 272 inhabitants of Whittier, 217 live in this secure space.
The Begich Towers were designed in 1953 and built in 1957. Their use was initially military. Originally, they were to be part of a larger complex and house the engineers of the American army, reports Demotivateur. It was in 1972 that this particular building, formerly called the “Buckner Building”, was renamed “Begich Towers Condominium”, in homage to a senator from the region. The same year, it became a building reserved only for civilian housing. A doctor's office, church, supermarket, school, police station, etc., everything is there. The weather conditions and its initial use explain why it is easier for the population to live in this building adapted to the cold.
One of the residents, passing through, testified on the Reddit forum and shared his experience, which he describes as "surreal". "Not being able to leave whenever you want is really a strange feeling. They completely close the tunnel and from 10pm to 5am, you can neither enter nor leave the city."
(MH with AsD - Source: Demotivateur - Illustration: Unsplash)