The most important details in this text are that there is a set of architecture connected with water, and that it is possible to indicate contemporary objects with some common features creating the set of aquatic architecture. The relation between architecture and water has different aspects, such as placing the object in the water as the environment, using the water as the decoration material or medium for energy flowing in the building, and finding intangible associations between water and architecture. Based on several case study investigations, it is proved that aquatic architecture is a significant part of the architecture, and that the architecture paying attention to the water is realised not only at the border of the land and water or in the water, but also in the middle of dry land.
In the context of architecture and its surroundings, water has a significant role to play
The relationship between water and architecture and how this aspect of nature has influenced people’s thought processes. It is essential to examine this difficult subject from various angles, including time, place, meaning, technology, art, and architectural design methodology. This network of concepts can serve as a theoretical foundation for a new, sophisticated design approach for the issues the built environment will face in the future about water.
Water in architecture and its peripheries is manifested in many ways, from small to urban scales. It can perform various functions, such as agricultural, commercial, military, medical, engineering, decorative, spiritual, or even an energy source. Fluid architecture is an example of this, where water is present as a space-shaping design principle, though not physically. Water-related garden and landscape design also facilitates environmental integration and adds new layers to the architectural work, adding space to the water.
The pillars of architecture
By delving into thinking principles, new techniques and systems of thought emerge. Examining these relationships may provide an answer to the basic question: What effect has water had on the (architectural) mindset? The question indicates a human-water interaction, of which only one element is architectural in nature.
Different architectural attitudes towards water are caused, in part, by architectural variety and, in part, by other subjective considerations.
Architecture-building is a difficult process with various boundaries, resulting in a plethora of perspectives. In a particular spatial setting – whether it’s a building, a group of structures, or an urban place – these many reactions to perspectives combine to make a cohesive, one-of-a-kind piece of architecture.
Because of the topic’s variety, a multi-perspective approach is required with the critical thinking process. The link between water and architecture is worth investigating from historical, geographical, meaningful, technological, and aesthetic viewpoints, as it provides a foundation for investigating architectural design methods.
The only drowned constructions in recent times were old world ruins and vanished cities. The architectural design industry has shifted from being attracted with skyscrapers to studying the possibility of living underwater, inspired by the fictitious continent of Atlantis. The following firms employ great designers, architects, sculptors, engineers, and artists. These firms have constructed subaquatic habitats with the possibility for long-term underwater metropolises.
Underwater, I experience space with my body. I’ll see a school of fish gathering and moving together and I’ll exclaim, ‘This is architecture.’
Antoine Predock
The Coral Greenhouse, part of the Museum of Underwater Art, is an extraordinary concrete and steel building located in an entrance of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It weighs 165 tonnes, is secured to the sandy bottom by a hefty foundation, and is equipped with cyclone tethers to keep it safe during storms. Its triangular shape is intended to give it a low centre of gravity, filled with water rather than glass. Spire-shaped pieces affixed to the pinnacle of the roof with zinc anodes vibrate in the waves. Small fish can evade predators by hiding in the gaps between gridded components, and octopuses and sea urchins can hide in niches. The Coral Greenhouse is biomorphic, meaning that its shape is decided by nature and will eventually be incorporated into its surroundings as the coral gradually invades it.
The Manta Resort is a one-of-a-kind underwater resort off Tanzania’s coast. It was built off-site, then hauled and moored in position. The bedroom is beneath the sea’s surface, while the living space is on the platform, allowing visitors to enjoy the sun as well as the sea.
The primary goal of architectural innovation has been to achieve new heights with tall buildings and mega-developments. Several projects have recently brought architects out of the clouds and beneath the sea, allowing guests to be surrounded by crystal-clear water and exotic creatures. Snøhetta was charged with designing a building that would serve many functions for Under, a restaurant off the coast of Lindesnes, Norway. The most difficult difficulty was burying the building in the water. The Ithaa restaurant at the Conrad Maldives is an underwater restaurant that allows guests to dine beneath marine life in its natural habitat.
The Ithaa restaurant at the Conrad Maldives is an underwater restaurant that allows guests to dine beneath marine life in its natural habitat. The construction had to be filled with water to sink to the seabed 16 feet below, and the interior was a combination of Norwegian wood and nature-inspired colours. The firm’s lessons will be valuable to other designers who want to venture into underwater design.
References:
Bohemians, Bauhaus and bionauts: The Utopian dreams that became architectural nightmares (2016) The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/mar/25/bohemians-bauhaus-bionauts-utopia (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
Published in CLADmag 2019 issue 1 (no date) Underwater Architecture: Going Deep, CLAD. Available at: https://www.cladglobal.com/architecture-design-features?codeid=33510&source=home&p=3 (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
Eleanor Gibson |21 November 2019 Leave a comment (2022) Maldives villa the Muraka has a bedroom under the sea, Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/21/the-muraka-underwater-bedroom-conrad-maldives-rangali-island-resort-yuji-yamazaki-ahmed-saleem/ (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
publisher, R.M. (2018) Exploring under water architecture, Issuu. Available at: https://issuu.com/riddhimadeka/docs/final_draft (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
02_(Khajuraho temple_Image ©Mukul Banerjee ) https://www.flickr.com/photos/mukulb/27516334059
02_(Mahabalipuram_Image ©tamilnadutourism) https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/destinations/mahabalipuram
The most important details in this text are that there is a set of architecture connected with water, and that it is possible to indicate contemporary objects which have some common features creating the set of aquatic architecture. The relation between architecture and water has different aspects, such as placing the object in the water as the environment, using the water as the decoration material or medium for energy flowing in the building, and finding any intangible associations between water and architecture.On the basis of several case study investigations, it is proved that the aquatic architecture is a significant part of the architecture, and that the architecture paying attention to the water is realised not only at the border of the land and water or in the water, but also in the middle of dry land. The immaterial relation is based on personal experience and connotation to the cultural environment of human.
