The Whale

Dorte Mandrup Wins Competition for New Arctic attraction

Dorte Mandrup once again proves her ability to create architecture in extraordinary, irreplaceable landscapes. The Danish architecture studio has won the inter-national competition to design the new attraction, The Whale, 300 km north of the Arctic Circle in northern Norway.

Danish architecture studio Dorte Mandrup A/S together with Marianne Levinsen Landskab and the consultants JAC Studios, Thornton Tomasetti, Nils Øien and An-ders Kold have been announced as the winner of the international design competition to design a new attraction on the island of Andøya in Northern Norway. This is one of the best places in the world for whale watching, and the new building, The Whale, will tell the tale of this fabled creature through art, science and architecture.

“Located this far North, Andøya is a unique place and The Whale an extraordinary project. Not only will we be creating architecture in yet another remarkable land-scape, but we will also take part in increasing the understanding of whales and preservation of marine life,” says Founder and Creative Director, Dorte Mandrup. “Right here on the edge of the ocean, we will be making a mark in a magnificent and ancient landscape. This opportunity comes with a great responsibility, which is extremely motivating and inspiring,” she adds.

A World Class Attraction in the Arctic

Dorte Mandrup has designed a building that grows out of the 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. The ambitions for the new building are high, and a visit to The Whale should be an unforgettable part of a stay on Andøya – a place that augments the monumental experience of the nature and the landscape. This remote location already has 50.000 yearly visitors and The Whale will significantly strengthen Northern Norway as a travel destination.

Dissolving Lines Between Landscape and Building

The curved roof will be covered with stones that naturally patinate and underline the connection between the Norwegian landscape and the building. As with the Wadden Sea Centre in Ribe and the Icefjord Centre in Ilulissat, Dorte Mandrup has designed a building which doesn’t simply fit into the landscape – it enhances its character and adds a complementary element.

The landscape on the site was critical in defining the shape of the building. The par-abolic form of the roof is defined by three high points on the site, and the foundation is informed by the landscape beneath it. Large windows that open to-ward the archipelago underline the connection between landscape and building and create a visual connection between the exhibition spaces and the vast natural sur-roundings. A connection which is further enhanced by rocks showing multiple places in the building. 

The building will house exhibition spaces, offices, a café and a store. Dorte Man-drup presents a design that respectfully ties the waterfront site with the ambitious goal to protect the marine environment and its wildlife through art, science and ar-chitecture. Dorte Mandrup‘s winning proposal will form the basis for the construc-tion of the new building, which is expected to open in 2022.

About Dorte Mandrup A/S 

Danish architecture studio Dorte Mandrup A/S was founded in 1999. The studio em-ploys 65 employees from more than 12 different countries and operates internationally. The studio specializes in cultural buildings, landmarks, transformations of listed buildings, and buildings in especially sensitive landscapes. Dorte Mandrup’s Icefjord Centre in Ilulissat, Greenland, is currently under construction and two visitor cen-tres located by the Wadden Sea, one in Germany and another in The Netherlands, are currently in the design phase. These are three out of five of the studio’s projects situated in relation to areas appointed UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Facts Project name: The Whale
Client: The Whale AS
Typology: Cultural building
Location: Andenes, Norway
Gross floor area: 4.500 m2
Completion: Expected 2022 

The project is developed by— 

Architect: Dorte Mandrup A/S
Landscape Architect: Marianne Levinsen Landskab 

Other consultants: 

Exhibition design: JAC Studios
Engineering: Thornton Tomasetti
Art consultant: Anders Kold
Whale researcher: Nils Øien

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