Underwater Restaurant Opens in Norway

John Hill

20. March 2019

Photo: IVAR KVAAL

Under, billed as Europe's first underwater restaurant, opened on March 20, 2019, in Lindesnes, Norway, in an angular building designed by Snøhetta.

First unveiled in October 2017, Snøhetta's design for Under looks like a craft or even a creature that has run aground, befitting its location "where the sea storms from the north and south meet," per the architects. The restaurant, which doubles as a research center for marine life, is half above and half below the water's surface.

Photo: IVAR KVAAL

Diners enter the restaurant via a bridge over rocks; once inside they descend a flight of stairs to the dining room and its large window with views of the seabed. The fine dining features locally sourced produce and sustainably captured "wildlife."

Photo: IVAR KVAAL

Snøhetta's Kjetil Trædal Thorsen said in statement:
Under is a natural progression of our experimentation with boundaries. As a new landmark for Southern Norway, Under proposes unexpected combinations of pronouns and prepositions, and challenges what determines a person’s physical placement in their environment. In this building, you may find yourself under water, over the seabed, between land and sea. This will offer you new perspectives and ways of seeing the world, both beyond and beneath the waterline.