A surreal city: single building houses entire population
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 the entire inhabitants of the city.
And that's not the only surprising feature of this building. The Begich Towers, also nicknamed “the city under one roof”, are only accessible via a tunnel. Of the 272 Whittier inhabitants, 217 live in this secure space.
The Begich Towers were designed in 1953 and built in 1957. Their use was initially military. Indeed, 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 specific 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. Medical office, church, supermarket, school, police station…, everything is there. The weather conditions as well as its initial use explain why it's easier for the population to live in this building (perfectly adapted to the cold).
One of the residents 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”.
(AsD - Source: Demotivateur - Illustration: Unsplash)