By 2022, an incredible architectural creation known as “The Whale” in Norway will be complete. The building, located in Andenes about 300km north of the Arctic Circle, will offer amazing views of the Andøya island. The best part about it, visitors will get to see migrating whales up close.
Thousands of squid are attracted to the cold, dark, 1,000m-deep waters of Andøya’s northwestern shore. As a result, the squid-loving sperm whales come flooding in, which is why whale watching is already popular in Andenes, with 50,000 visitors coming to see the whales every year.
In celebrating the successful number of visitors, a Danish architecture firm, Dorte Mandrup, was selected to create the whale after winning the competition for the best design. “It is poetic and low-key and at the same time a very exciting and unusual building. With this fantastic proposal, we have what it takes to create a world-class attraction,” said Børre Berglund, CEO of the project and head of the jury for the architectural competition.
Dorte Mandrup says that the building will give the illusion that it’s growing out of the Norwegian landscape. “It rises naturally as a soft hill on the rocky shore as if a giant has lifted a thin layer of the crust of the earth and created a cavity underneath. Visitors and locals are invited up to walk on the roof and have an unspoiled view at the ocean, the mountains, the midnight sun, or the Northern Lights dancing on the sky,” she said.
The connection between the building and the Norwegian landscape is underlined in the stones which cover the entire curved roof. The building is more than just a pretty sight; it will house offices, a store, a café, and exhibition spaces. Furthermore, it will be themed to the underwater world while telling the story about the marine creatures.
What do you think about The Whale? Would you visit The Whale to watch whales chasing squid from off the rooftop of the building?
