Beneath London, tunnels and bomb shelters will become tourist attractions

Used for espionage, telephone exchanges and much more over the years, a semi-secret network of tunnels in the center of London could open to the public in 2027. There is a locked door on the eastbound platform of Chancery Lane station on the London Underground. The door is unassuming, sturdy and white.

Behind it is a wide staircase leading to a maze of tunnels about a kilometer long built in the 1940s and initially intended for use as a shelter during World War II and later used for espionage, storage of 400 tons of government documents and telecommunications services.

Welcome to the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, located approximately 100 feet below street level in central London, extending beneath the Central Underground line. Soon they could enter a new chapter: Angus Murray, the owner of the complex, who bought the tunnels last summer, has applied for planning permission from the local authorities in collaboration with architectural firm WilkinsonEyre to transform the tunnels into a tourist destination capable of handling millions of people per year.

Mr. Murray's London Tunnels plans to invest a total of 220 million pounds (about $275 million) in restoring and preserving the tunnels, as well as adding technology for art installations and other attractions. Mr Murray hopes to open the complex in 2027 and said it could host temporary art exhibitions, fashion shows and more.

ImageThe tunnels were initially proposed by the British government during World War II.Credit...THE LONDON TUNNELS

ImageThe proposed tourist attraction could host art exhibitions and fashion shows.Credit...WilkinsonEyre

At the moment, entering the tunnels requires taking a small elevator hidden behind a side door in an alley off a wide street in central London. (Visitors to the attraction would use a different, larger entrance, Mr. Murray said.)

We are having difficulty retrieving the content of the article.< /p>

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log in to your Times account, or subscribe to the entire Times.