The old jails that have been turned into hotels
Some might feel a sense of hesitation at sleeping the night in a jail, especially if their conscience is clear.
Yet around the world old prisons, and related buildings such as courthouses, seem to be remarkably popular as sites for hotels and other leisure pursuits, once the convicts have been moved out, of course.
And it makes sense: they already have the rooms, and the large open areas that are perfect as lobbies or restaurant spaces.
Or in the case of other conversions like the Ulambarra Theatre, in Bendigo, Victoria, they can become sites used by the whole community.
Prison de Boschpoort, the Netherlands
The Netherlands’ Boschpoort Prison. Photo: Instagram/@prisonescapenl
Not many buildings have domes as large as the 130-year-old Prison de Boschpoort in the Netherlands’ city of Breda.
The prison was modelled around the concept of the panopticon where prisoners can be constantly watched and thereby adjust their behaviour.
It’s now becoming offices and an entertainment complex, with 90 businesses so far housed in the four-storey-high block of prison cells; some of the space is currently for sale through a government real estate site.
Dramatically lower crime rates have seen several prisons sold and converted in the country- 27 prisons in the Netherlands have closed since 2014 and there are now only 38 still in operation.
One company has also launched a team-building “Prison Escape” described as “an epic interactive gaming experience that gives you the feeling you have entered your own prison film”.
Ulambarra theatre, Bendigo
Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo- the $26m project designed by Y2 Architecture. Photo: Peter Craig
Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo- the $25.8m project designed by Y2 Architecture. Photo: Peter Craig
In the regional Victorian city of Bendigo the former Sandhurst jail has been converted into a 1000-seat theatre.
Dating back to the gold rush, the building has been named Ulumbarra, meaning “gather together” or “meeting place” in the language of the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
The $25.8 million project opened in 2015 and since then has hosted performances such as the Russian national ballet’s Romeo and Juliet, and the Festival of Failure.
Also in Victoria, Cox Architecture has announced plans to convert Melbourne’s Pentridge Prison.
The renovation is going to be a mixed-use site with nine floors of hotel rooms, as well as six levels of residential apartments.
The complex will also have a restaurant, day spa, conference facilities, a gym, indoor pool and parking, while the chapel is being converted into a functions area.
Liberty Hotel, Boston, US
Built on a former prison site, The Liberty Hotel in Boston, US. Photo: libertyhotel.com.au
Built on a former prison site, The Liberty Hotel in Boston. Photo: libertyhotel.com.au
Many of the buildings in converted corrections centres have tongue-in-cheek names, and the Liberty Hotel Boston is no exception.
The prison opened in 1851, and served as the Charles Street Jail until 1990 with political activist Malcolm X reportedly having served time there.
The old watch tower still remains, and it had to be rebuilt in the original designs of the 1850s, after it was modified in the 1940s.
Today it houses 298 luxury rooms – only 19 of which are in a former cell block as the others were condemned due to the unsuitable conditions.
It also has no less than five restaurants and bars with preserved wrought iron and sandstone.
Clink 78 Hostel, London, UK
The courthouse where Charles Dickens used to work is now a hostel. Photo: clinkhostels.com
Most backpackers try and keep themselves out of trouble when they’re overseas but some choose to stay in this former courthouse and prison in the heart of London.
The 200-plus-year-old building, now a hostel called Clink78, is reportedly where Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist while working as a court scribe.
Its name comes from an English term for prison and the success of this hostel saw the sisters who run it open another in England and one in Amsterdam.
With a modern interior design, the hostel can now accommodate up to 500 guests.
It is also home to The Clash Bar- named after the time when punk band stood trial there for shooting pigeons.
Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey
The Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: fourseasons.com/istanbul
The Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: fourseasons.com/istanbul
From the level of luxury in this hotel you probably wouldn’t be able to tell that it used to house prisoners.
The grand, yellow estate was the first modern prison in Istanbul, but was abandoned in the 1960s.
It underwent renovations and re-opened as a five star hotel by Four Seasons in the 1990s and has become a popular wedding destination.
In a significant rethink from its original purpose, the former exercise yard has been converted into a formal dining courtyard and the guard’s watchtowers have been made into elevator shafts.
The former jail cells, now large suites, have been decked out with antiques, marble floors, and damask fabrics.
