The War Rooms: A Past Unseen, A Future Revealed - Launch Night

The War Rooms: A Past Unseen, A Future Revealed opens at the Newton Building Reception on Tuesday 3 November, with the launch night running from 17:00 to 20:30. It's the first look at a project centred on one of Nottingham's strangest hidden spots: the city's former Regional Seat of Government, a Cold War bunker that's spent decades out of sight. The whole point of the exhibition is to bring its untold stories to light.

On the walls you'll find photographs and immersive video tours made by Martine and NTU's Dan Billings during the summer of 2024, shown alongside plans to turn the bunker into a new community, heritage and workspace for the city. It's two things at once: a record of what the place was and a look at what it's being turned into. The launch night is staged with colleagues from NTU, CPMG Architects and Langcroft Developments, and EMCCA Mayor Claire Ward is expected to attend.

If you're interested in the city's hidden history, this is a good place to start. The bunker was a Regional Seat of Government, part of the UK's Cold War infrastructure, and for a long time it's been just that — hidden. The photographs and video tours give you a way inside, and the plans show how it's being brought back into use as a space for the community. It's a rare chance to see a part of Nottingham that most people have never even heard of, let alone seen.

Entry is free, but numbers are limited and a reserve list is in operation, so it's worth getting your name down early. The launch night runs from 17:00 to 20:30 on Tuesday 3 November at the Newton Building Reception, Nottingham Trent University, 10 Goldsmith Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU.