The
World's First All-glass Undersea Restaurant
Opens
The Maldives
| 15 April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant
in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives
Resort & Spa. It will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian
Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral
reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic
underwater views.
"We
have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning
underwater environment of the Maldives",
says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives
Resort & Spa. "Our guests always comment on being blown away by the
colour, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it
seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience
fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views - without ever getting their
feet wet."
Created
by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in New
Zealand,
Ithaa's distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls
and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. "The fact that
the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes
this unique in the world," continues Schieck, "We are currently planting a
coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the
rays, sharks and many colourful fish that live around the
area.