[Sovkiller]

"....First all-glass undersea restaurant opens
The Maldives, April 2005 – 15 April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views...."


Full article here

 

[yblocgerg]

Give me vacation money plz.

 

[AlanY]

It sounds great, but I wonder if it is a hoax. Those are computer generated renderings, not real pictures. If the restaurant opened five days ago, why aren't real pictures of it available?

 

[The Actual]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanY It sounds great, but I wonder if it is a hoax. Those are computer generated renderings, not real pictures. If the restaurant opened five days ago, why aren't real pictures of it available?

Hmmm, they don't look computer generated to me. Definitely low resolution, but not fake.

What convinces you that they are fake? The fish look especially real to me.

 

[ayt999]

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/d...hocn=MLEHITW#4

no pictures though.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanY It sounds great, but I wonder if it is a hoax. Those are computer generated renderings, not real pictures. If the restaurant opened five days ago, why aren't real pictures of it available?

I can assure you that those are not computer generated renderings...I began to work for a huge factory that manufacture, cut and process all kind of glass, and we have done some works for them....

 

[dhwilkin]

Assuming it's real, that is friggin' awesome! I really want to go there now.

 

[roadtonowhere08]

That sounds really cool, but I would assume not a very smart place to be during a storm. Also remember that the Dec. 2004 tsunami waves passed the Maldives, and while they may be smaller than when on shore, but they travel much faster in the ocean. I really dig the idea though. Kinda reminds me of that water slide at that Sandals resort in the Bahamas. I REALLY want to try that slide out someday

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller I can assure you that those are not computer generated renderings...

You cannot assure me of this because it isn't true. Those are computer generated images. Things that give them away include:
- the Phong shading used on the chairs
- all the light sources in the first image are overly diffuse (except for the highlights from the table lamps lamps) and the shading behavior on the left side of the image is typical of a renderer set up with exclusively diffuse light sources
- the unrealistic caustics in the second image.

It's getting harder and harder to spot an image generated by a good renderer these days, but these images are definitely computer generated.

Quote:

I began to work for a huge factory that manufacture, cut and process all kind of glass, and we have done some works for them....

That may be true. As I said, this may or may not be a hoax. But those aren't real images.

 

[terrymx]

claustrophobic

 

[bhd812]

cool idea but no way I would be able to actually eat in that "room".

 

[jcdenton]

HA...that restaurant is nothing compared to this: http://www.hydropolis.com/homepage.html

 

[terrymx]

i feel like installing deus ex.

 

[Edwood]

It is entirely possible to have that "room" constructed out of acrylic. I have visited a few aquariums with archways like that, at about 2/3 that size.

Very cool indeed.

But unless they build that thing next into a reef, there is no way they will have views of fish like that.

Agreed, that is a composite of 3D rendering and photoshopping the ocean scene.

The angle of the ocean surface on the first pic is a bit off. Doesn't quite match up to the 5 meter depth they describe.

Still, it's a well done conceptual rendering.

*edit, on second thought, they could always lure fish in with bait once in awhile.

-Ed

 

[archosman]

"Transparent aluminum?!!!"