The underwater park “ReefLine” will promote climate change awareness

For sea, snorkelling and underwater excursions lovers, something curious is coming and it is a really interesting news. The first underwater museum will be built in Miami, the “ReefLine”, designed by the architectural firm OMA. The project is born from the collaboration among OMA, the University of Miami, the city of Miami and Coral Morphologic. 

The underwater park, once completed, will be a real 7-mile marine museum where people will have the opportunity to visit it through a snorkelling and scuba diving itinerary. OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu said: “The ReefLine is unique because it brings attention to and mitigates the dangers of climate change in Miami, while simultaneously enriching the city’s vivid art scene”. 

Behind this project there is a team of experts made up of researchers, marine biologists, coastal engineers and architects who will ensure that this museum will be built in full respect of the environment and the coral reef. The purpose of the ReefLine is to raise awareness of the impacts that climate change is having on coral reef and sea level rise, the museum will be an artificial reef that will protect and preserve Miami’s marine life. 

Creative director Ximena Caminos commented on the idea of ​​the first underwater museum: “This series of artist-designed and scientist-informed artificial reefs will demonstrate to the world how tourism, artistic expression, and the creation critical habitat can be aligned. The ReefLine is a singular investment in civic infrastructure, public art and environmental protection that will pay dividends over the coming decades and attract ecologically-minded tourists and art lovers to Miami”. 

This underwater museum will include various works of art made using a 3D printer and suitable materials for the marine environment that will not be damaged in any way. The works are planned to begin next year, the project will be carried out in seven phases and the first one, which covers about a mile of the entire itinerary, will be completed at the end of 2021. The first art works installed will be those of Shohei Shigematsu and the Argentine artist Leandro Erlich. In 2019 Erlich created the work “Order of Importance” on the beach of Miami, the artist sculpted 66 cars in sand to raise awareness about the problem of global warming. For the creation of the ReefLine, Erlich is engaged in the marine reproduction of his traffic jam which will be entitled “Concrete Coral”. Whereas, the artists Agustina Woodgate and Ernesto Neto have been chosen to realize the next installations and works for the future phases of the underwater museum. 

Now we have to wait until this next opening to live an underwater experience among art and culture in the waters of the beautiful city of Miami.