Architecture firm OMA is building a seven-mile-long, underwater sculpture park, which it says will bolster the shoreline of Miami Beach against the effects of climate change and include installations that can only be viewed while snorkeling.
Initiated by Argentinian curator Ximena Caminos, The ReefLine is intended to respond to, and raise awareness of, the way climate change is causing rising sea levels and coral reef damage in the coastal city.
OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu, who heads the firm's New York office, is leading the masterplan project, working with a team that includes marine biologists, researchers, architects and coastal engineers.
Above: The ReefLine will stretch from South Beach to the north. Top image: OMA's staircase-like installation "The ReefLine is a unique project that brings attention to and mitigates the dangers of climate change in Miami Beach, while simultaneously enriching the city's vivid art scene," Shigematsu explained.
"We look forward to collaborating with a diverse group of experts and professionals on our first underwater cultural masterplan and sculpture."
The ReefLine masterplan will be composed of geometric concrete modules, stacked approximately 20 feet (six metres) under water and approximately 900 feet (247 metres) off shore. They will run seven miles from South Beach at the southern end of the city all the way to the north to enhance the coastal resilience of the Miami Beach shoreline.
OMA's masterplan is compose...