intense coral, sea green and culminating in a midnight blue
in the dining area. At the mezzanine or bar level, where the
building touches the sea, a vertical window extends from
above sea level down to the seabed, providing a glimpse
under the water. Meanwhile, at the deepest level, in the
dining space, a spectacular 11m-wide, 3.4m-tall expanse of
glass allows diners to take in an incredible view of marine life.
The restaurant’s concrete shell was built on a barge 20m
away from the site. According to Grasdal, Under is the most
unconventional project he has ever worked on, and the
greatest challenge was submerging the structure in the ocean.
‘During submersion the structure floated on its own
and was delicately moved to its final location by a separate
crane and tugboats,’ he says. ‘This was the riskiest phase,
but thankfully it went well!’
After being submerged, the structural work was
completed and the building was bolted to a concrete slab
anchored to the bedrock and the interior fitted out. With
its thick concrete walls the structure is built to withstand
pressure and shock from the rugged sea conditions.
All the furniture in the restaurant is bespoke,
employing traditional hand-crafted methods, with
the chair as the focus. The furniture represents the
philosophy of the project, which is to build solid
structures without compromising the inherent natural
beauty of raw materials.Left An underwater window
allows diners to take in a
view of marine life
Above Thick concrete walls
enable the structure to
withstand whatever the sea
can throw at itFOCUS 067