Under.
Lighting designed to harmonize with the surrounding nature and seasonal changes.
Europe’s first underwater restaurant uses light to promote marine biodiversity – while teaching visitors about marine life.
Architect : Snøhetta
Owner : Stig and Gaute Ubostad
Electrical engineer : Tratec Teknikken AS
Suppliers : iGuzzini, Nortronic, MakingMatters, Fiberoptisk, Fagerhult, Stokkan Lys, Delta Light Luminator & Atendi Installer: Tratec Teknikken AS
Photographer : Tomasz Majewski
Completion year : 2015
Awards : Dezeen Awards 2020, Winner of Norwegian Lighting Awards 2019, Winner of Darc Awards 2019.
Under is developed by Snøhetta, the world renown Norwegian practice of architecture. Located on the coastline by the village of Båly, half of the structure appears to sink to the bottom of the of the North Atlantic, resting five meters beneath sea level.
The structure is designed to become an integral part of the environment, acting as an artificial reef. Its coarse concrete structure makes it easy for mussels to cling to its surface, which will attract marine life, and help increase biodiversity while naturally rinsing the sea water.
Light can attract fish
Working closely with world renown architects Snøhetta, we have developed a lighting design that extends beyond the interiors and into the water, visually connecting the interiors with the ocean outside. It is all about creating an experience – how the lighting is designed, controlled and tuned is intrinsic to the success of the restaurant. Research shows that light has a significant impact on the ocean’s ecosystems. Because people often live near costlines and along waterways, these areas are particularly exposed to artificial light. However, all lighting does not have the same effect. How fish react depends on the amount of light and its spectral distribution. With the help of marine biologists, ÅF researched how artificial lighting can be designed to have a positive impact on the marine environment.
Marine species are affected differently, depending on the type of light source – for example, whether it has a high content of red or blue light – and by the amount of light. We want to use artificial lighting only when neccessary. The building is designed to use sunlight and skylight to the greatest extent possible
Liquid Light
Research shows that light has a significant impact on the ocean’s ecosystem, and together with marine biologists, ÅF Lighting tested different lighting solutions and measured the effect on local marine life. Thus, the lighting concept at Under extends beyond the interiors into the water to measure the effects of light according to luminous emittance and spectral distribution. The idea is to attract various species that will be visible from the restaurant, without harming the natural environment.
By use of LED lights in a matrix located in the ceiling, the light sources are small with good glare control, which makes them almost invisible. Technically, Liquid Light consists of data harvested from different sensors, for instance at Under, infrared sensors detect heat, while acoustic detectors respond to sound frequencies in the room. The data is then interpreted and transformed into light scenarios constantly changing and adapting to its milieu and the people using the space.
The restaurant is planned to function both as a culinary experience in spectacular surroundings and as a research center for marine life.
Read more about the project on Under’s website, which was also designed by Snøhetta.
Our main challenges were to maintain a natural light and to create a safe atmosphere at the bottom of the ocean for the visitors. Due to the minimal amounts of daylight below the sea, and with a natural reference to the theme of the restaurant, we envisioned that the lighting ’floats’ into the room where it is needed. It is finely tuned to the surroundings inside the restaurant and designed in harmony with the nature around with an aim of creating a visual ecosystem.
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