ifj

Snøhetta
Båly, Norway

Norway based architecture firm Snøhetta has built the Europe’s first underwater restaurant ‘Under’ in the Southern village of Baly, Norway. The structure is designed with sensitive consideration for its geographic context and marine lives. The sleek, streamlined form of the building is encapsulated in a concrete shell with a coarse surface that invites mussels to cling on. The submerged monolith in future will become an artificial mussel reef that functions dually to rinse the sea and naturally attract more marine life to its purified waters. The muted lighting from the inside of the restaurant will help stage the wildlife flourishing on the sandbank outside the meter panoramic acrylic window.

The champagne bar is characterized by colors inspired by the coastal zone, with its subdued colors evoking the sediment of shells, rocks, and sand. On the other hand, the dining room is submerged in darker blue and green colors inspired by the seabed, seaweed, and rough sea. Creating an intimate atmosphere, the warm oak of the restaurant interior completely contrasts with the rough concrete shell. Materials are chosen according to sustainable characteristics and ability to create a good indoor climate. The advanced heating pump technology has been installed to maintain the stable seabed temperature all round the year. The restaurant aims to share and keep informing the people about the bio diversify of the sea and at the same time provides an under-water experience inspiring a sense of awe and delight through its architecture.