The works include museums, restaurants and hotels, designed to create greater awareness of the human impact on the ocean.
From a research facility to be built on the ocean floor to a vacation home with direct ocean views, architects are creating countless structures that endure immersed in water.
With growing environmental awareness and concern about the impact human activity has on the planet’s oceans, many of these structures are designed to help people appreciate the importance of marine ecologies.
Here are seven underwater constructions and proposals that demonstrate what is possible to build underwater:
1. “Under”, Norway, by Snøhetta
Aptly named Under, this restaurant is nestled in the North Sea waters surrounding the remote Norwegian village of Båly. With a floor plan of 495 square meters, the Snøhetta architecture firm claims it is the “largest underwater restaurant in the world”.
Designed to resemble a sunken periscope, the restaurant is comprised of an exposed concrete pipe with panoramic acrylic windows. In addition to providing customers with a place to eat, it will be used as a marine research center.
2. The Muraka, Maldives, by Ahmed Saleem and Yuji Yamazaki
This private Maldives vacation home has an aquarium-like suite enclosed in seven-inch thick curved acrylic walls where guests can observe marine life.
Called The Muraka, the underwater vacation home designed by architect Ahmed Saleem and New York studio Yuji Yamazaki also has a kitchen, living and dining area and three bedrooms positioned above the water.
3. Australian Underwater Discovery Center, Australia, by Baca Architects
Designed to be built two kilometers offshore at Busselton Pier in Western Australia, the Australian Underwater Discovery Center was designed by architectural firm Baca Architects to mimic the shape of a whale emerging from the sea.
Visitors to the center will be able to look out of a large window onto the ocean floor and observe the marine habitats of Geographe Bay.
4. The ReefLine, USA, by OMA
ReefLine is an 11-kilometer-long underwater sculpture park built by OMA architecture firm along the Miami Beach coast. It will feature structures that can only be seen while diving.
The team of marine biologists, researchers, architects and coastal engineers working on the project hope it will raise awareness of the negative impact climate change is having on coral reefs and rising sea levels.
5. Underwater Museum of Cannes, France, by Jason deCaires Taylor
Located three meters below the Mediterranean Sea, near the island of Sainte-Marguerite, is an underwater museum that contains six large sculptures modeled on local islets.
The permanent installation forms the Cannes Underwater Museum, designed to draw attention to the ocean environment and the impact of human activity on marine life.
6. Docking the Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by ZJA
Scheduled to open in 2025, Docking the Amsterdam is a museum in the Netherlands that will house the wreck of the historic ship Amsterdam.
Architecture firm ZJA plans to build a glass tank around the 40-meter-long sunken ship, allowing visitors to see it from all angles. They will also be able to learn about Dutch maritime history in the museum’s exhibition spaces.
7. Proteus, Caribbean, by Yves Behar
Swiss designer Yves Behar designed Proteus, a pressurized underwater research station for the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, a French ocean conservation center.
Hailed as the ocean equivalent of the International Space Station, it will host up to 12 researchers and aquanauts at a time. Scientists will be able to grow their own food at the station located 18 meters underground, near Curaçao, a Caribbean island.
* Via Dezeen
Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
