Underwater Tennis Courts: A Possibility in Dubai?

Krysztof Kotala, a Polish architect and founder of the design firm 8+8 Concept Studio, has released one-of-a-kind ideations for an underwater tennis facility off the coast of Dubai. If it sounds adventurous, it’s because it is – and Dubai, Kotala says, is the only place to make this happen. The court, he says, “should be something where there is the tradition of tennis. Dubai is perfect for this idea.”

If all goes according to plan, Dubai would be home to both the world’s highest tennis court (which sits atop the Burj al Arab skyscraper) and the lowest. Spectators would have the choice between watching games on TVs above water as they unfold below them or they could opt to watch in an extra-large glass dome underwater while sharks and schools of fish fly by just inches away from them.

While the idea is still in the concept phase, Kotala and his team have noted no massive engineering challenges and high costs in the construction and execution of the project. Architects have been quick to point out, however, that Kotala’s see-through, transparent ceiling would require a continuous pane of glass measuring at least 108 feet-wide to accommodate the court and spectators..

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