World’s largest underwater restaurant is open for business

Innovation in the restaurant industry has been remarkable over the last decade. There’s restaurants where you dine in complete darkness; the world’s most expensive restaurant that comes complete with a crazy music & projection system, and of course Salt Bae’s steakhouse.

All of those restaurants just got overtaken by an incredible spot in Finland: the world’s largest underwater restaurant.

Designed by Snøhetta, “Under” sits half-submerged into the sea and has three-foot thick walls designed to withstand the area’s rugged seas.

From the outside it looks like a concrete container that’s been casually tossed into the shallows, but inside there will be a restaurant with space for up to 100 guests – and a huge observation window offering briny views of the North Atlantic.

According to Arne Marthinsen, the project manager for SubMar Group, which is responsible for the project’s marine operations, Under is unique among other underwater structures.

“What makes it so complicated and unique, is the fact that it isn’t going to be a simple, concrete storage tank, but rather an amazing, unique experience for people due to the location, the architecture, the interior, the underwater view and of course the delicious cuisine,” Marthinsen said in a news release.

The restaurant will be located on the Southernmost tip of Finland in the coastal town of Baly:

The 100-foot long structure resembles a concrete tube that sits half-in and half-out of the sea.

“KonaFilter image-container slide-image-large on-image”>The restaurant was constructed above ground on a barge and took around six months to complete. The structure was designed to withstand the most heavy weather conditions given Finland’s changeable weather.

“The first problem is water pressure, as we’re [16 feet] below the surface, but the biggest challenge is the waves,” Rune Grasdal, a senior architect at Snøhetta, told CNN.

“Wind and waves are extreme here. To withstand all these forces, the building is slightly curved, so it can better take to the waves, and it’s thick: [1.6 feet] for the concrete and about [1 foot] for the acrylic windows.”

 

The restaurant has a large window so diners can see the sea-life as they enjoy their meals. Fish passing by should include pollack and cod, and there are crabs, lobsters and dogfish to see amid the seaweed. Architect Kjetil Traedal Thorsen said: “The big window exposes the underwater not like an aquarium, it’s the real thing.”

More than 7,000 people have made reservations for a meal “Under,” which can cost up to $430 (€376). The restaurant owners hope 12,000 people will eat dinner each year in the restaurant, with half of them staying in their nearby hotel.

Fancy dining under the sea?