Former nuclear bunker in The Hague to become 17-room recording studio complex

A 17-room recording studio complex is opening in a former nuclear bunker in The Hague.

The studio, work and community space, Subterra, is planned to be open by the end of 2024. It’ll contain 17 music-specific studio and rehearsal spaces, as well as communal areas, in the Central Station underground complex originally constructed as a Cold War bunker for Dutch government officials. 

The space, which will also host a radio station, is run by a crew that ran The Hague’s Schenk studio space until its forced closure in 2019, Resident Advisor reports. The team includes Joris Hoefnagel, Benjamin Havenaar (of The Crave Festival), Lounes Doulache, Stefan Hagesteijn and Marieke McKenna, with cooperation from The Hague city council. DJs like Jeans and Spekki Webu are also involved with the complex, which has been in conceptual and development stages for six years. 

“Currently, producers and musicians from The Hague work in all sorts of places; for example, some are in a temporary anti-squat building, and others in a basement of a snack bar”, Havenaar said in a statement to Resident Advisor. “A recurring sound we have heard for years is that musicians and producers cannot find a permanent space of their own. We saw a broad demand for a safe, permanent place where these makers can leave their instruments and equipment. This allows them to focus more on the long term and better invest in their careers; which encourages the professionalisation of these artists.‘’

Find more information via Subterra’s website. There you can learn about the application process for studio space. Applications are open until 1st September.