"As if a giant had lifted a thin layer of the earth's crust"
Winning an architectural competition is always a feat. But winning it against the likes of BIG , Snøhetta and Reiulf Ramstad is like getting the gold medal and the honors at the same time. However, it seems that The Whale ('The Whale') of the Danish study led by Dorte Mandrup , deserves both this first place and the media commotion that its novel structure in the Arctic Circle is causing. And all this almost three years before opening to the public.
“Located on the edge of the ocean, The Whale will be born out of the spectacular Norwegian landscape. It will naturally rise like a gentle hill on the rocky shore, as if a giant had lifted a thin layer of the earth's crust and created a cavity below. Visitors and locals will be invited to walk on the roof, thus obtaining a perfect view of the ocean, the mountains, the midnight sun or the northern lights dancing in the sky, ”they reveal from the architectural firm.
The purpose of the particular construction is to serve as a point of reference for the more than 50,000 visitors who come to Andenes, in northern Norway, every year. watch the whales pass by on their migratory journey . The building, in addition to serving as a vantage point from which to view the magnificent event, will house exhibition spaces, offices, a cafeteria and a shop.
From the sea, the structure resembles a whale's tail
According to Børre Berglund, CEO of The Whale and head of the competition's jury, the project has everything it takes to become a top-tier attraction. “Dorte Mandrup presents a design that respectfully links the coastline with the ambitious goal of protect the marine environment and its wildlife through art, science and architecture ”, they also explain from the studio.
For this reason, the construction will merge with the landscape in the most humble way possible, trying to improve it at the same time. So yes u curved roof will be covered with stones that underline the natural connection between the site and the building , while inside, large windows will open onto the archipelago, creating a visual connection between the exhibition spaces and the vast wilderness of Andøya, the island to which Andenes belongs.
The island offers the visitor an unspoiled and atypical landscape in which the dark stone coasts, the jagged grassy mountains in the north and the flat blackberry marshes further south stand out. Only the almost perfect cone shape of Bleik Island breaks the endless horizon, stretching all the way to Greenland, in a unique postcard that we will have even more reasons not to miss from 2020.
Large windows blend interior and exterior