HOSHINOYA Nara Prison Hotel © former-nara-prison.com
The HOSHINOYA Nara Prison hotel has opened in Nara, Japan, housed in a former prison built in 1908. During the renovation, historical elements were preserved: brick walls, wooden doors with peepholes, bars, vaulted ceilings, and the radial layout of the buildings, according to RBC.
The project took about seven years to develop. The designers decided not to hide the building’s past: guests should feel the history of the former prison as they move through its rooms. A museum dedicated to the history of the building and the Japanese penal system has opened next to the hotel.
In St. Petersburg, the “Kresty” complex on Arsenalnaya Embankment is being given a new lease on life. The prison, built in the 19th century, got its name from its two main wings, which are arranged in a cross-shaped layout. Over the years, Lev Trotsky, Nikolai Zabolotsky, and Lev Gumilev were held here.
The pretrial detention center operated until 2017, after which the inmates were transferred to the new “Kresty-2” complex in Kolpino. In February 2025, a subsidiary of the KVS Group of Companies acquired the property for 1.136 billion rubles. Plans call for the creation of a multimedia museum, two hotels, a gourmet street, a pedestrian promenade, and themed spaces dedicated to the history of “Kresty” on the complex’s grounds.
In the United Kingdom, the former Reading Prison has been repurposed for cultural use. It is known for having been the place where the writer Oscar Wilde served his sentence. After his release, he wrote “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” based on real events involving one of the inmates. The facility closed in 2013. In 2024, the building was purchased by the Ziran Education Foundation for £7 million. It now hosts exhibitions.
In Denmark, the former Vridselesill Prison, opened in 1859, became part of a project to create a new residential neighborhood. After the facility closed, it was decided to redevelop the 160,000-square-meter site while preserving the former prison building itself at the heart of the future neighborhood.
In Boston, the Liberty, a four-star hotel, has opened on the site of the Charles Street Prison, where anarchists, suffragists, and World War II prisoners of war were held at various times. Some of the guest rooms are located in the former prison blocks, and a garden has been created in the courtyard where prisoners once walked.
In the Netherlands, a former floating prison for undocumented migrants was converted in 2016 into the 144-room boutique hotel Good Hotel. After a year of operation in Amsterdam, the property was moved to London. The project was also linked to a social program: the hotel owners planned to help people acquire skills for future employment in the hospitality industry.
In Palencia, Spain, a 19th-century prison building was transformed into the Centro Civico cultural center. The former cells were converted into a library, spaces for creative activities, and event halls.
Another well-known example is the Bastille in France. The fortress, built in the late 14th century, was a symbol of royal power and a place of imprisonment for famous prisoners, including Voltaire and the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask. After the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, the fortress was demolished. Today, a square stands in its place, and the Opéra Bastille has been in operation since 1990.
In Australia, the former Pentridge Prison, opened in 1850, has become part of a new urban space. The complex now features a 15-screen movie theater, shops, restaurants, and a park.
All of these facilities have preserved their architectural and historical heritage.
