Under, which will be Europe’s first underwater restaurant, will soon open online reservations for dates beginning April 2019.
When it opens, Under will be the largest underwater restaurant in the world.
In order to fully enjoy the experience—and the seasonal dishes prepared under the watchful eye of chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard—diners at the exquisite new space are encouraged to allot 3.5-4 hours to their meal.
Under was constructed on a
barge off the coast of Båly, a sleepy town on Norway’s South shore. In July, containers filled with water were placed
inside the structure, which was then submerged beneath the North Sea to a depth
of five meters-. Eighteen anchoring points secure Under to the sea floor.
Not
all of Under is underwater, though. Half of it sits above the surface like an
ice cube.
Under's walls are one meter thick and specifically
designed to withstand the pressure and shocks of a marine environment.
“The most exciting experience will be to visit
the restaurant during rough weather,” explains Rune Grasdal, a senior architect
at Snøhetta, the architectural
brains behind Under.. “It will be fantastic to see
the sea surface broken up by the big waves and the rain, making for a very
dramatic view.”
Grasdal also noted that Under’s slightly curved shape
helps to minimize wave impact.
Under has three distinct levels. The top level is the
entrance and wardrobe area, the middle level a champagne bar and the lowest
level the dining room, with two long dining tables and several smaller tables
with a capacity of eight to one hundred guests. All of the tables will offer a
pristine view of the main panoramic window, which is eleven-meter wide by four-meter
high. It will have lighting both inside the restaurant and on the seabed itself
to showcase the exceptional aquatic life nearby.
Under will also function as a research center for
marine biologists and other researchers to study that same underwater wildlife.
Visitors will be given a story about marine biodiversity and the Norwegian
coast.
It will be much more than a submerged eating experience.
From Forbes (edited)
