Since Snøhetta was commissioned for the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, he has more and more projects in the United States, however not forgotten its Scandinavian roots, and after unveiling a number of smaller projects this year tailored to the Norwegian and Swedish terrain, like a boat tunnel, a treehouse hotel, and a readymade cabin, they presented designs for "Under," titled as Europe's first underwater restaurant.
According to the designers, the monolithic structure, which also houses a marine life research center, will be located at the southernmost tip of the Norwegian coastline, leaning on the ground over the edge of a rocky outcrop, semi-submerged in the sea.
Built from concrete the centre will come to rest on the sea bed five meters below the water's surface; here, it will "fuse" with the ecosystem of the concealed shoreline. A concrete periscope that guides up to 100 diners from the rocky tidepools near the entrance down to a champagne bar. Below the waterline, the restaurant’s enormous acrylic windows will frame a view of the seabed.
According to the designers, the monolithic structure, which also houses a marine life research center, will be located at the southernmost tip of the Norwegian coastline, leaning on the ground over the edge of a rocky outcrop, semi-submerged in the sea.
Built from concrete the centre will come to rest on the sea bed five meters below the water's surface; here, it will "fuse" with the ecosystem of the concealed shoreline. A concrete periscope that guides up to 100 diners from the rocky tidepools near the entrance down to a champagne bar. Below the waterline, the restaurant’s enormous acrylic windows will frame a view of the seabed.
As visitors begin their journey through the restaurant they descend through three levels. From the entrance, where the tidepool is swallowed by the sea, guests enter the wardrobe area. Visitors are then ushered down one level to the champagne bar, which marks the transition between the shoreline and the ocean. From the bar, guests can also look down at the seabed level of the restaurant, where two long dining tables and several smaller tables are placed in front of the large panoramic window.
According to Snøhetta statement, parts of the restaurant will be dedicated to a marine biology research outside of the restaurant's opening hours. "Researchers from Norwegian research centers will seek to train wild fish with sound signals, and will study whether fish behave differently throughout different seasons." The researchers will also help to optimize conditions on the seabed so that fish and shellfish can thrive in proximity to the restaurant.
The sleek, streamlined form of the building is encapsulated in a concrete shell with a coarse surface that invites mussels to cling on. Over time, as the mollusk community densifies, the submerged monolith will become an artificial mussel reef that functions dually to rinse the sea and naturally attract more marine life to its purified waters.
