Nature conquers restaurant building in Norway

#NordicNews on Norway

Underwater restaurant evolves into artificial reef in Norway

Three years after the underwater restaurant "Under" was built in Lindesnes, southern Norway, nature has integrated the building into its surroundings. There is not much left of the concrete block, it is almost completely overgrown with seaweed.

In the small town of Båly, at the southern tip of Norway, the restaurant "Under", Europe's first underwater restaurant, was built in 2019. Already in 2020, Under was awarded a Michelin star, the highest award of quality for gourmet chefs.

Guests can observe the life in the sea through an eleven-meter-wide window. The building extends five meters below the surface of the water and was designed by the architectural firm Snøhetta so that mussels, for example, can settle on the coarse surface. The restaurant thus functions as an artificial reef and will be completely integrated into the environment over time.

The building also serves as a base for the Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) to research the underwater world.

Norwegians and international guests appreciate the restaurant so much that it is fully booked more than half a year in advance.

More on the restaurant Under.

© Header: Timon Koch / Under