It’s become one of the great architectural shorthands of the last half century: label a proposed project or outlandish villa as “like a Bond villain’s lair,” and it’s immediately clear this isn’t your standard residential commission or fancy high-rise. While the bad guy bases in Bond films all have their own charms, there’s a certain formula to these hideouts and HQs. A workplace befitting 007’s nemesis needs to project grandiose, exotic, and out-of-reach, have the space for a planet-destabilizing weapon of mass destruction and, if possible, be wedged inside an active volcano (or perched inside a cliff). With news earlier this month that the Moroccan lair featured in the latest Bond flick, Spectre, can be had for $ 4.4 million, it seemed like a fitting time to examine the real-life buildings and locations that served as the homes for many of Bond’s greatest rivals. An atlas of notable locations and aspiration travel planning can be assembled from the franchise’s globe-scouring film shoots.
The Real Locations of Bond Villain Lairs Across the Globe
