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Airbnb offers glass room submerged in shark-filled aquarium
POSTED 02 Apr 2016 . BY Kim Megson
The only thing separating guests with their toothy neighbours will be a 350-degree transparent wall Credit: Airbnb
Ever wanted to sleep surrounded by sharks? Airbnb and French design agency Ubi Bene believe that at least some people might, and have designed a special underwater bedroom in the shark tank at Paris aquarium.

For three nights in April 2016, the winners of a one-off competition will be given the chance to experience life underwater, surrounded by 35 live sharks.

The only thing separating guests with their toothy neighbours will be a 350-degree transparent wall.

Described as a “a peaceful enclosure with a large cylindrical bed and breathtaking, immersive views,” the room is the creation of Ubi Bene and a team of architects accustomed to designing submarines.

Competition winners will have an intimate meal from their bed inside the tank, before being taken on a guided tour of the aquarium by world record-breaking freediver and underwater photographer Fred Buyle.

The competition is intended to provide a “glimpse into the world of sharks: how they live, why they’re so misunderstood, and their importance to the ocean’s ecosystem.”

Guests are warned to avoid taking selfies (as flashes disturb the sharks) and to steer clear of the film Jaws in order to enjoy a peaceful night’s slumber. Sleepwalking is also advised against.

After the Airbnb sleepover from 11-13 April, the room will be used as an observation area for biologists and scientists. The structure is designed not to emit bubbles that would disturb the sharks, allowing them to be observed behaving naturally.

This is not the first eyebrow-raising bedroom created by Airbnb. The company has previously collaborated with designers for a floating guest house on London’s River Thames and a human-scale recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s bedroom from his famous French ‘Yellow House’.

Life under the waves in a concept that continues to appeal to architects and designers. Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut recently unveiled his vision for a future where we all live under the sea in self-sufficient ‘oceanscrapers’.

Back in the here and now, the developers of a forthcoming luxury resort in the Maldives are constructing “the world’s largest underwater restaurant” and Europe’s first underwater art museum has opened near Lanzarote in the Atlantic Ocean.
The underwater bedroom is the latest innovative design from Airbnb Credit: Airbnb
The Airbnb competition is intended to provide a 'glimpse into the world of sharks: how they live, why they’re so misunderstood, and their importance to the ocean’s ecosystem' Credit: Airbnb
Guests will dine under the water, surrounded by the sharks Credit: Airbnb
PROJECT PROFILE:

Qatar World Cup underwater broadcast studio
Qatari officials are looking into the possibility of building a first-of-its-kind underwater TV studio for use during the 2022 World Cup, after which it will be turned into a public aquarium.


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Jobs    News   Products   Magazine
NEWS
Airbnb offers glass room submerged in shark-filled aquarium
POSTED 02 Apr 2016 . BY Kim Megson
The only thing separating guests with their toothy neighbours will be a 350-degree transparent wall Credit: Airbnb
Ever wanted to sleep surrounded by sharks? Airbnb and French design agency Ubi Bene believe that at least some people might, and have designed a special underwater bedroom in the shark tank at Paris aquarium.

For three nights in April 2016, the winners of a one-off competition will be given the chance to experience life underwater, surrounded by 35 live sharks.

The only thing separating guests with their toothy neighbours will be a 350-degree transparent wall.

Described as a “a peaceful enclosure with a large cylindrical bed and breathtaking, immersive views,” the room is the creation of Ubi Bene and a team of architects accustomed to designing submarines.

Competition winners will have an intimate meal from their bed inside the tank, before being taken on a guided tour of the aquarium by world record-breaking freediver and underwater photographer Fred Buyle.

The competition is intended to provide a “glimpse into the world of sharks: how they live, why they’re so misunderstood, and their importance to the ocean’s ecosystem.”

Guests are warned to avoid taking selfies (as flashes disturb the sharks) and to steer clear of the film Jaws in order to enjoy a peaceful night’s slumber. Sleepwalking is also advised against.

After the Airbnb sleepover from 11-13 April, the room will be used as an observation area for biologists and scientists. The structure is designed not to emit bubbles that would disturb the sharks, allowing them to be observed behaving naturally.

This is not the first eyebrow-raising bedroom created by Airbnb. The company has previously collaborated with designers for a floating guest house on London’s River Thames and a human-scale recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s bedroom from his famous French ‘Yellow House’.

Life under the waves in a concept that continues to appeal to architects and designers. Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut recently unveiled his vision for a future where we all live under the sea in self-sufficient ‘oceanscrapers’.

Back in the here and now, the developers of a forthcoming luxury resort in the Maldives are constructing “the world’s largest underwater restaurant” and Europe’s first underwater art museum has opened near Lanzarote in the Atlantic Ocean.
The underwater bedroom is the latest innovative design from Airbnb Credit: Airbnb
The Airbnb competition is intended to provide a 'glimpse into the world of sharks: how they live, why they’re so misunderstood, and their importance to the ocean’s ecosystem' Credit: Airbnb
Guests will dine under the water, surrounded by the sharks Credit: Airbnb
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'World's largest' underwater restaurant set to star at luxury Maldives resort


The developers of a forthcoming luxury resort in the Maldives claim that they have finished constructing the world’s largest underwater restaurant.
James Corner creates huge iceberg installation for National Building Museum summer series


James Corner Field Operations have designed a vast glacial installation for the National Building Museum in Washington, which will make visitors feel as though they are walking through an underwater world of ice fields.
Haunting and beautiful: Europe's first underwater museum set to open in Lanzarote


Lanzarote’s Museo Atlantico, Europe’s first underwater art museum, is preparing to open 12 metres below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
Does the future of design lie underwater, in the clouds or even on the surface of the Moon?


A new study into how we will live, work and relax a century from now has predicted a future where underwater bubble cities, drone-delivered mobile holiday homes and super skyscrapers are the norm.
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UK updates physical activity guidelines with focus on daily movement
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