The folks in Dubai seem to love their tennis courts. In 2005, the world’s highest tennis court was built on top of the 1,000-foot-tall Burj al Arab Hotel. And now, the city may venture beneath the sea with the world’s first underwater tennis court.
Earlier this year, Polish architect Krystztof Kotala, Founder of 8+8 Concept Studio, proposed to build an underwater complex situated offshore in the Persian Gulf, between the Burj al Arab and the Palm Jumeirah islands in the United Arab Emirates. The proposed structure will house seven courts, each with rooftop coral reef designed to build an illusion of a natural atoll.
While the innovative idea drew much interest from potential spectators, it also raised many technical concerns for engineers and developers. Sara Fray, Director of Engineering and Technical Services at the Institution of Structural Engineers in London, reportedly pointed out to MailOnline that the transparent ceiling would require a continuous pane of glass measuring at least 108 feet-wide and weigh “possibly a hundred tons” to accommodate the court and spectators. Aside from the major concern of leakage, Fray also noted a few things that the complex would need, including a feasible structure that could withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, and an efficient connection to the surface as emergency exit. She even questioned whether tennis players could play in the courts, as it would be difficult to control the light refraction.
Beyond these technical issues, the development is also extremely expensive to build. Estimated to cost a whooping $1.7 -$2.5 billion, according to Kotala in an interview with CNN, the architect believes the project to be a “combination of ecology, technology and sport” with strong commercial potential. Yet, there was no investor as of May. Since then, Kotala has been in talks with potential U.S. investors, but no further details can be revealed at this point.
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