WITH A COLORFUL MAN-MADE CORAL REEF RESTING BELOW, DUBAI’S UNDERWATER “FLOATING SEAHORSE” HOMES INVITE YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF LIFE UNDER THE SEA.
BY ARCHANA AITHAL ROSE
From artificial rain-generating clouds and mammoth indoor ski slopes to sky-piercing super structures like the Burj Khalifa, Dubai has a penchant for logic-defying dazzle. Th e modern metropolis’ latest feat is a fl eet of fl oating villas that cleverly combines marine life conservation with ultra-luxurious aquatic living. Situated mere miles off the Dubai coast in the Persian Gulf, Floating Seahorses are the world’s fi rst submerged homes.
Each villa features a 270-square-foot underwater section with a master bedroom and bathroom. The main floor with living room will sit at sea level, with an elevated observation deck above it. What about the bells and whistles, you ask? The submerged floor will consist of a 495-square-foot coral garden, while the main level boasts a glass-bottomed Jacuzzi and an outdoor shower.
Conceived by design firm Kleindienst Group, Floating Seahorses went through 18,000 hours of research, design, and engineering. With preservation at its heart, Kleindienst created an artifi cial coral reef to rest beneath each fl oating villa for seahorses to live and breed, restoring the endangered seahorse population in the area.