Ithaa, a 5-star restaurant located at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is groundbreaking not only in its construction, but in its function. The reason: the restaurant sits over 16 feet (5m) below the surface of the Indian Ocean.

Designed and engineered by Mike Murphy of M.J. Murphy Ltd, the restaurant is surrounded by 360 degree views of a coral reef. However, because of the proximity to the reef, all phases of production and installation required exacting detail.

Because of needing to remain watertight during installation (and obviously, afterwards), all of the acrylic panels were designed to fit into a steel frame that would ultimately sit on the sea floor. Due to the size and complexity of the structure, it was decided to be built above ground in Singapore first and then shipped by barge to the jobsite.

Once on-site, the entire restaurant literally had to be sunk to the sea bed with the help of several divers, adding a sand filling in Ithaa’s belly, and a crane to maneuver into place. Once on the seabed floor, the restaurant was anchored to piles previously driven into the sand.

Shortly after installation was complete, the marine life returned to their reef, giving diners a truly one-of-a-kind view of a coral reef, various tropical fish, and curious stingrays on a nightly basis.