Muraka - the world's first underwater residence
I was back in 2012 at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel in the Maldives. Last year, the hotel underwent a complete renovation and impressed with its innovations: the hotel created the world's first underwater residence - Muraka! The project in the Maldives repeats the design principles used earlier when creating the underwater restaurant Ithaa
The Muraka Residence, which opened at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort in the Maldives, has been hailed as a breakthrough in the hospitality industry. Its name in translation means "coral", since all its rooms are "drowned" to a five-meter depth at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. The architects have provided panoramic glazing here so that guests can appreciate the beauty of the sea depths without leaving the premises. The villa can comfortably accommodate 9 guests.
The designers faced a difficult task - to carefully fit the entire structure into the ecosystem of the island reef, without violating the fragile natural balance. It is no coincidence that the chief designer of the project, Ahmed Salim, calls Muraka the main achievement of his life.
In the construction of the residence, unique developments and the latest technologies were used, however, the principle remained the same as when creating the world's first underwater restaurant Ithaa: a curved acrylic dome provides a 180-degree panoramic view.
For lovers of more traditional design, Muraka has an overwater section. It consists of two bedrooms, a living room, a butler's room, a home gym and two terraces facing east and west.
Muraka guests can enjoy a personalized experience, including making their own Discovery Channel-style film about underwater life or learning the secrets of Chinese cuisine from celebrity chef Jeremy Leng. Of course, the villa has butlers who provide individual service to each guest.
