Oslo- and New York-based architecture firm Snøhetta is giving us another reason to book a trip to Scandinavia: an underwater restaurant on Norway's southern coast, about five hours southwest of Oslo. Dubbed "Europe’s very first underwater restaurant" by the firm, the appropriately-named Under will be half-sunken some 16 feet into the sea, with a 36-foot wide, ocean-floor-to-ceiling acrylic window to allow diners views of the sea life. And while what's on the menu has yet to be released, we can imagine it will feature plenty of saltwater residents.
While the building's primary purpose is as a 80- to 100-person restaurant, Under will also serve as a marine research center, according to Dezeen. Researchers at Under will help "optimize conditions on the seabed so that fish and shellfish can thrive in proximity to the restaurant," the firm said on its website. Plus, the ridged concrete exterior will serve as an artificial mussel reef, specially designed with nooks and crannies to attract the mollusks over time, much like underwater museums; the reef's inhabitants will clean the seawater around the restaurant, helping diners see the sea life more clearly from their dinner tables, and attract more marine life to the now more purified waters.
Guests who visit Under, which doesn't yet have an opening date listed, will travel from tide pool to seabed by passing through a champagne bar at shore-level that has a window that cuts vertically through all of the restaurant's levels, according to the firm. Snøhetta is also taking interior design tips from its surroundings, as the champagne bar will feature a color palette "inspired by the coastal zone, with its subdued colors evoking the sediment of shells, rocks and sand." The dining room will be rough sea-inspired, with darker blues and deep greens.
Another way you'll know you're heading under the sea? You might catch a little splash on the way in. "On a day of rough sea, you can feel a hint of fresh, salty ocean spray against your face as you enter the restaurant," Snøhetta's site reads.
If you're not looking to wait indefinitely to visit Under, you can try your hand at one of these seven underwater restaurants and bars around the world. Or, for the more adventurous traveler (or wannabe mermaid), spend a night under the sea at one of these submerged hotels.
