The 120-key Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi has unveiled the world’s first semi-submerged art gallery showcasing a series of sculptural artworks in the skyline.
Created by underwater naturalist and artist Jason deCaires Taylor, the Coralarium pays homage to the abundant sea life and pristine coral house reef surrounding the resort.
The first coral regeneration project slash underwater art installation in the Maldives aims to showcase the fragile beauty of the Maldives and the world’s oceans and provide visitors a new experience to engage with art and nature.
The artwork creates artificial reefs which will eventually become an integral part of the local ecosystem, with sheltered spaces offering a permanent sanctuary for ocean life such as fish, crustaceans, octopuses and marine invertebrates.
The Coralarium focuses on a stainless steel cube structure at a depth of three meters in the lagoon, raising up six meters from the seafloor. It holds three dimensions of artwork: rooftop sculptures placed at the top of the cube structure; the underwater art pieces and sculptures placed on plinths at various heights to highlight tidal movements; and the semi-submerged architectural cube element, which creates a bridge and fusion between both terrestrial and sub-oceanic worlds.
Guided tours in small groups led by the resort’s resident marine biologists are available several times a day.
