Below Below
BY M I C H A E L S C I VO L I
P H OTO G R A P HY BY I VA R K VA A L
Beneath the cold
northern waters of
Lindesnes, Oslo-
based architecture
workshop, Snøhetta,
has created the
world's largest
underwater restaurant
along Norway's
southern shore.
W
aves rush into the
coast; white fringed
and violent they
break against the
craggy shore and swamp the air with
humid mist. e spectral sea spray
dissipates on your skin, preceding the
structure—a monolith, half-sunken
into the icy Norwegian waters.
Neither below or above, its striking
visual identity is inspired by the
surrounding topography—a rough
yet refined concrete shell unmoved by
the tides, and yet, in perfect rhythm
with its environment.
A chill grips you as you approach
its ivory platform, tempting your
imagination to what wonders await
below. Step by step you descend, the
calming warmth of the oak foyer at
your side—a far cry from the discord
of the outdoors fading further
behind. e plunge beneath is slow,
marked by accent windows where the
building touches the sea—a steady
glide past the mezzanine bar. Above,
an allusion to an evening's sunset
sinking on the ocean's horizon—a
visual metaphor played out by clad
ceiling panels. But still, the emerald
green glow of the sea beckons with
your last steps into the unknown.
V U E N J . C O M
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