Six Senses Laamu Announces The Opening of The SHELL
Saturday 14th of January 2023
Six Senses Laamu has announced the opening of its Sea Hub for Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL) due to be inaugurated on March 1, 2023. The SHELL is tucked away on the resort’s sunset beach and spans a total area of 5952 square feet. The contemporary interiors are equipped with several facilities including a gallery exhibition space, offices, marine laboratory, cinema room and kids’ zone.
The SHELL will also house the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), a marine conservation collaboration between Six Senses Laamu’s marine biologists and its partner NGOs including the Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation and the Olive Ridley Project. The multi-purpose space will be utilized for guest education and will offer a myriad of immersive marine conservation experiences through its modern facilities.
The 2336 square foot central exhibition space will display the vibrant marine life of the Maldives, inviting guests to explore the extraordinary encounters. Moreover, the MUI team will also be engaging guests in a plethora of activities and hosting presentations parallel to their research, conservation efforts and initiatives. Likewise, the SHELL will offer a platform for hosting world-class researchers, further expanding its efforts to achieve sustainable resource management in Laamu.
Bringing forth immersive learning experiences, the SHELL’s central gallery called Tank will feature a high-resolution LED display floor and five educational viewing booths for kids and adults alike. Here, guests will be given a sneak into the diverse underwater landscape at Laamu while delving deep into selected topics on marine life.
Designed by Illuminate Productions in Singapore, the transformative experience seeks to educate guests on the exciting marine life around the resort and draws inspiration from the glass-bottom boat. The featured content will be periodically updated to new footage captured by the resort’s dive team, creating an ever-changing canvas for guests to delight in during their various visits.
The Kids’ Zone delivers an even more exhilarating time strongly supported by cutting-edge technologies. Youngsters and aspiring marine biologists can unlock the secrets of Laamu and its underwater realm through different means including the sandbox and ‘Draw Alive’ experiences. The augmented reality sandbox allows kids to change and redesign habitats and topography using projection mapping technology.
Meanwhile, Draw Alive allows them to colour in their favourite marine creatures and see them come alive with advanced animation technology. Afterwards, they can watch the organisms glide and swim throughout the virtual world.
In addition to this, the SHELL is home to a 506-square-foot amphitheatre displaying stunning visuals of the underwater as a backdrop for the team to tell their stories of the land and waters of Laamu and present their research and findings to guests and scientific peers.
CEO of Six Senses, Neil Jacobs remarked “The opening of the SHELL at Six Senses Laamu is a milestone moment for the resort and the company overall, as it truly represents the passion for the ocean environment and biology, a key agenda item for Marteyne and her team. We are equally delighted and excited at how Six Senses, through the SHELL, is bringing to life our company values in the beautiful and fragile Maldives ecosystem.”