Home Notifications Newsletters Next Share

A Maldives luxury resort that costs up to $3,800 a night has opened an underwater sculpture museum and the photos are otherworldlyhttps://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/a-maldives-luxury-resort-that-costs-up-to-3800-a-night-has-opened-an-underwater-sculpture-museum-and-the-photos-are-otherworldly/slidelist/65674741.cms2018-09-04T20:28:39+05:30

A Maldives luxury resort that costs up to $3,800 a night has opened an underwater sculpture museum and the photos are otherworldly

Sep 4, 2018, 20:28 IST

The underwater museum is located at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort on the island of Gaakoshibee.

It took five months to install the gallery on the island.

'Visitors can explore it while snorkeling out from the beach to the museum, a distance of about 100 meters,' Hoefler said.

After snorkeling for five to 10 minutes, you'll reach an underwater staircase that leads up toward the semi-submerged building.

The cube-shaped building is nearly 20 feet tall, and the front facade is submerged in about 10 feet of water, depending on the tide.

The walls were designed to mimic natural coral structures so that marine life can pass through the structure.

The structure is made of 180 tons of architectural elements, including 66 marine-grade steel panels.

The gallery is comprised of 22 sculptures total.

The amount of the sculpture that is visible above water depends on the tide.

10 of them are perched on plinths partially out of the water.

Six others are fully submerged on the seafloor.

And another six sculptures are on the rooftop.

There are also six submerged trees and a coral pathway with more than 60 coral flower pots.

'It is both an art gallery and an artificial reef space,' Hoefler said.

The roof is perforated with a coral pattern to let beams of light through to shine on the sculptures.

Submerged lights illuminate the space at night.

The submerged sculptures include children looking up toward the sea's surface.

The installation is meant to raise questions about the threat of climate change and consequences of rising sea levels.

The Maldives, consisting of more than 1,100 islands to the west of India, is the world's lowest-lying nation.

On average, the islands are only 1.3 meters above sea level, making them especially vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Visitors can explore the Coralarium free of charge in small group tours guided by marine biologists.

But you'll have to pay between $760 and $3,838 per night to stay at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort, according to the resort's website.

Next Story Life-saving facts that could help in almost any n...

View All Latest