Norway’s Underwater Restaurant Is Finally Complete And It Looks Incredible

The “world’s largest underwater restaurant,” which plunges from a craggy shoreline in the remote village of Baly, Norway, is finally complete! Designed by Norwegian firm Snøhetta, the underwater restaurant fittingly-dubbed Under is a 34-meter rectangular prism slightly submerged five meters under the sea.

Situated on the southern tip of Norway, the restaurant looks like a large concrete tube partly submerged in the North Sea. Under, which means “below” and “wonder” in Norwegian, has a total seating capacity for 100 guests, and people are already adding it to their Norway destination lists.

Europe’s very first undersea restaurant opened on March 20.

Snohetta announced on social media:

“Today marks the official opening of ‘Under,’ Europe’s first and the world’s biggest underwater restaurant, designed by Snøhetta. Half-sunken into the sea, the building’s 34-meter long monolithic form breaks the surface of the water to rest directly on the seabed five meters below.

The structure is designed to fully integrate into its marine environment over time, as the roughness of the concrete shell will function as an artificial reef, welcoming limpets and kelp to inhabit it.”

The company continued that the “building also functions as a research center for marine life, providing a tribute to the wild fauna of the sea and to the rocky coastline of Norway’s southern tip.”

Rune Grasdal, the lead architect of Under, said:

“The idea was to make a tube that would bring people from above sea level down under the sea. That transition is easy to understand, but it’s also the most effective way to do it. It also feels secure, but you don’t feel trapped.”

Snøhetta is no newcomer in the design world. Last year they announced the world’s most environmentally friendly hotel, that will be built in the Arctic circle. And now they just completed an underwater restaurant that not only offers a unique dining experience but also doubles as a marine life research center.