Airbnb offers glass room submerged in shark-filled aquarium
by Kim Megson | 02 Apr 2016
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.
Sharks Paris aquarium Airbnb underwater
The only thing separating guests with their toothy neighbours will be a 350-degree transparent wall / Airbnb
The underwater bedroom is the latest innovative design from Airbnb / 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' / Airbnb
Guests will dine under the water, surrounded by the sharks / Airbnb
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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
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