Snøhetta first came up with the ambitious design to create Europe’s first underwater restaurant back in 2017. The restaurant named Under was more than just an ambitious dream and the construction is underway at Norway’s southern most tip.
The underwater restaurant is being built on top of a large barge just a little distance away from the sea-bed where Under will eventually be coming to rest 26 ft below the water’s surface. The building will be submerged and secured to a foundation on the sea floor as soon as it is declared structurally sound.
Snøhetta is also known for its involvement in the world’s first ship tunnel and that too in Norway. They are building the 600 sq-m building with 1 m thick concrete walls in order to withstand the constant pressure from the relentless sea waves.
There will be a large panoramic acrylic window that will offer the diners a view of the seabed throughout the changing seasons and weather. In addition to being an underwater restaurant, the building will also serve as an artificial mussel reef and will host marine biology in the hours the restaurant is closed.
“We’re excited to see Under taking shape,” says Project Manager, Rune Grasdal. “It’s a complex building in many ways, and we’ve applied know-how from the offshore industry to make the restaurant water tight and weather proof. Among other [things], we’ve simulated how the restaurant will tolerate a so-called 100-year wave. The conclusion is that building will be just fine, but, of course, in extreme and rare weather conditions like that you’ll need to keep your distance from the shoreline regardless.”
Under is expected to be completed by 2019.
