atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives

overwater Yakitori Restaurant and Bar by atelier nomadic

 

Throughout human history, explorers, sailors, and seafarers have told tall stories of sea creatures found in the depths of the ocean – from the leviathan that swallowed Jonah, the giant squid that grappled with the Nautilus to Moby Dick seeking revenge on the Pequod and its crew. Recently emerged in a calm, tropical lagoon in the Maldives, this overwater Yakitori Restaurant and Bar nods to these gentle giants, inviting a select few to dine on fine Japanese cuisine, deep in the belly of the beast, beneath its dramatic bamboo ribcage. Netherlands-based Atelier Nomadic from Nomadic Resorts completed the design as a revamp of the existing jetty structure at the Banyan Tree Vabinfaru resort, creating a new scenic dining experience. 

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
all photographs © Joe Chua Agdeppa

 

 

a bio-climatic structure shaped like a ray from the maldives

 

This clear example of biomimicry takes its inspiration from the sleek silhouette of the Pink Whiprays (Pateobatis fai) that graze in the surrounding lagoon. The naturally ventilated, bio-climatic structure features a sea saltwater infinity pool and several overwater catamaran nets where guests can relax with sunset panoramas. With a roof structure crafted entirely from bamboo, the overwater Yakitori Restaurant and Bar by Atelier Nomadic (see more here) is shaped by a series of hyperbolic paraboloid columns and roof trusses, reflecting the endo skeleton of the Mobulidae family. Its design is further amplified by the dramatic Maldivian landscape and reflected in the mirror-like lagoon, with its looping, shingled tail winding back down. The architecture, dubbed Madi Hiyaa, also takes cues from the Dhivehi language, where Madi symbolizes ‘ray,’ and Hiyaa signifies ‘shelter, paying tribute to the graceful rays that migrate across the Indian Ocean.

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
overwater Yakitori Restaurant and Bar by Atelier Nomadic

 

 

creating a bamboo ‘ribcage’ with rhythmic, wave-like patterns 

 

Lead architect Olav Bruin opted for bamboo to demonstrate its potential as the fastest growing renewable building material. ‘[B]amboo is an extremely effective carbon sink, as we need to move towards a future where buildings actually sequester carbon instead of expelling it,’ he shares. The team opted for Dendrocalamus Asper bamboo as the primary structure and the smaller Gigantochloa Apus bamboo for the grid infill. Meanhile, the sleek interior features a bar and services blocks clad with black Gigantochloa Atroviolacea bamboo that subtly contrasts with the pale bamboo columns and timber decking. The rhythmic pattern of the material internodes refers to the movement of the waves. Madi Hiyaa, is the latest member to the family of ray-inspired structures that Nomadic Resorts has developed and joins The Den at Soneva Kiri and the treehouses at Playa Viva, as part of an improbable family of bamboo rays stretching from the pacific coast of Mexico to the gulf of Siam. 

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
the structure recently emerged in a calm, tropical lagoon in the Maldives

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
using biomimicry to create a bamboo ribcage and silhouette nodding to sea rays

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
the project offers a new scenic dining experience

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
infinity pool

1800x900-overwater-restaurant-by-joe-chua-agdeppa-full-1

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
using Dendrocalamus Asper bamboo as the primary structure

atelier nomadic's overwater bamboo restaurant emerges like a sea creature in the maldives
rhythmic patterns weave across the design

1800x900-overwater-restaurant-by-joe-chua-agdeppa-full

 

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restaurant concept sketch
restaurant concept sketch
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elevation
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site plan
site plan

project info:

 

name: overwater Yakitori Restaurant and Bar

location: Vabbinfaru Island, Maldives 

architect: Atelier Nomadic@nomadicresorts

design team: Olav Bruin, with Louis Thompson, Habiba Mukhtar

client: Banyan Tree

contractor: Asali Bali 

photographer: Joe Chua Agdeppa 

renderings: Atelier Nomadic 

floor area: 850 sqm 

design year: 2020 

completion year: 2023

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