Warsaw to convert metro spaces into emergency shelters

Warsaw is initiating the ‘Underground Shield’ program to convert unused technological spaces within the metro system into modern civil defense facilities. Under this initiative, announced by President Rafał Trzaskowski, empty concrete chambers will be adapted to serve as emergency shelters and strategic crisis warehouses.

These facilities will store essential supplies, including field beds, drinking water, medicine, and blankets. Construction is set to begin next year in a large, vacant chamber located beneath Plac Wilsona. This site, which had been considered for an underground parking lot for nearly two decades, has now been officially added to the list of 28 protective structures in Warsaw.

The project will be managed by the Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Realizacji Inwestycji (MPRI). Additionally, the city plans to utilize a two-level underground parking garage north of the Centrum metro station as a dual-purpose facility, serving drivers daily while functioning as a shelter during emergencies.