A public park of underwater structures off the coast of Miami Beach
“Under the sea, under the sea, you live happily being a mermaid, you are happy”.
Confess it, you have read it singing and imitating the endearing crab Sebastián, who would surely be delighted to walk around The ReefLine, the underwater sculpture park designed by the architecture firm OMA.
The ReefLine will be located off the coast of Miami Beach, It will be 11 kilometers long and will include facilities that can only be seen while snorkeling.
In addition, the project also aims to combat climate change “providing habitat for endangered reef organisms, promoting biodiversity and enhancing coastal resilience” , point from OMA.
The ReefLine: an environmentally conscious underwater park
THE WATER!
The ReefLine is a large-scale environmental public art project conceived by the Argentine artistic and creative director Ximena Caminos and directed by Shohei Shigematsu, partner of OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture).
In addition, they will collaborate with a team of expert marine biologists, coastal researchers, architects and engineers.
For the master plan, OMA has designed a modular geometric concrete unit that can be unfolded and stacked from South Beach to the north, following the topography of the seabed.
The living breakwater is the connective tissue of the overall master plan and will be marked by a series of specific facilities. There will be a snorkeling trail and an artificial reef.
The ReefLine is intended to respond to and raise awareness about how climate change is causing sea level rise and coral reef damage.
The ReefLine will be made up of geometric concrete structures that will form an artificial reef
UNDERWATER ART
The ReefLine project will be completed in phases, with the first mile scheduled to open in December 2021.
The first phase will open with permanent installations by the Argentine conceptual artist Leandro Erlich and of Shohei Shigematsu / OMA . The artists Ernesto Neto and Agustina Woodgate (Brazilian and Argentine) will take care of subsequent orders.
Leandro Erlich will create an underwater incarnation of his popular "traffic jam" sculpted in sand, called Order of Importance, which was commissioned by the city of Miami Beach during the Art Basel Miami Beach 2019 and featured 66 sand-covered sculptures of cars and trucks.
Named Concrete Coral, the installation will revolve around the concept of cars and trucks, symbol of the emissions that endanger our planet, and will make an approach to them as new vehicles for environmental change.
Leandro Erlich's "submarine traffic jam"
OMA / Shigematsu sculpture explores the nature of weightlessness underwater. A) Yes, “the staircase, a rudimentary architectural element that suggests directionality and movement, is taken out of its usual context and it transforms into an underwater madness”, they explain from the studio.
Like the circular formation of the atoll, a series of winding spiral staircases create a three-dimensional structure reminiscent of marine life.
“The organic form provides layered zones for coral reef growth and interstitial spaces for exploration. The stairs revolve around a central forum for meetings and underwater activities”, they expose from OMA.
The first mile is scheduled to open in December 2021
IN DATA
The geometric concrete modules will be stacked approximately 6 meters underwater and 247 meters from the coast, covering an area of 11 kilometers from South Beach, at the southern end of the city.
In addition, the structures will be built with materials approved by the state of Florida for the deployment of artificial reefs, including concrete and limestone, as they are chemically similar to natural reef substrate.
Installations and works of art will also be made from similar materials and presented as an extension of the reef. Participating artists will have access to a 3D printer.
We have a new excuse to travel to Miami Beach!