‘The Whale’, An Arctic Attraction Building That Seems to Rise From the Sea Like a the Tail of a Majestic Whale

Danish architectural firm Dorte Mandrup in partnership with Marianne Levinsen Landskab, JAC Studio, Thornton Tomasetti, AT Plan & Arkitektur, Nils Øien, and Anders Kold, have created an award-winning building design in Andenes, Norway, on the Norwegian Island of Andøya. This spot is known as one of the best locations for whale watching on Earth. The Arctic attraction building, aptly entitled “The Whale” appears to rise out of the sea like its namesake and looks like the majestic tail of a whale as the animal submerges below water.

The building will house gorgeous views, exhibition spaces, offices and cafés while maintaining a connection to the delicate environment that surrounds it.

The Whale. A deep-water canyon only a few nautical miles from shore is one of the best places in the world for whale watching, and The Whale will tell the story of this magnificent creature through art, science, and architecture.

This design has won an international challenge to create an integrated Arctic attraction for the island.

In the spring of 2019, The Whale AS invited architecture companies to compete for the task to design a new attraction on the island Andøya in Northern Norway. Out of 37 teams, four prequalified for the competition and on November 1st, 2019 Dorte Mandrup was announced as the winner. The other teams that participated in the competition were BIG, Snøhetta and Reiulf Ramstad.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.