Airbnb offers glass room submerged in shark-filled aquarium
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'World's largest' underwater restaurant set to star at luxury Maldives resort
James Corner creates huge iceberg installation for National Building Museum summer series
Haunting and beautiful: Europe's first underwater museum set to open in Lanzarote
Does the future of design lie underwater, in the clouds or even on the surface of the Moon?
Tech startup touts VR as the future of aquariums
Could citizens of the future live under the sea? Vincent Callebaut unveils 3D-printed 'oceanscrapers'
Egypt's ancient sunken ruins of Alexandria to become world's first underwater museum
World’s first underwater nightclub redesigned by Poole Associates as “creative playground”
Newport Aquarium to add rope bridge over shark tank
Canberra Zoo luxury lodges allow guests to take a walk on the wildside
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Across Denmark, a charity is turning industrial buildings into centres for street sport and art. As the concept prepares to go global, we speak to the people making it happen
Bionic leaves, breathable metals and selfgrowing bricks... Biomimicry in architecture has come a long way. Christopher DeWolf takes a look at the latest advances