Modelled after a whale’s tail, the new platform will be the perfect place to observe sperm whales and orcas migrate through the Norwegian Sea
No travel plans for 2027? Add Andenes, Norway to your list. Adding to its dramatic northern landscapes, Northern Lights and diverse wildlife, is The Whale, a new visitor attraction soon to open as a purpose-built platform for viewing the animals as they migrate through the Norwegian Sea. These could be anything from humpback and fin whales to sperm whales and orcas, who regularly rise from the deep-sea valley below the surface.
Designed by Danish architect Dorte Mandrup, its shape takes after the whale’s tail, a unique spectacle that tips out of the water as it dives into the sea. A winning design from a contest, this undulating structure, with its curved concrete roof, covered with natural, unworked stones from the area, will become one with its surroundings. Its shape has also been designed to endure the region’s heavy snowfall.
There will be an exhibition space, a visitor centre, offices, a store and café, with plenty of glazing to bring the outdoors in. Exhibits will be centred around culture, humans, science and of course, nature, when it comes to whales and everything there is about them. Visitors are also encouraged to explore the site beyond the main building; the work of Marianne Levinsen Landskab, its surrounding landscape will include a tide pool, campfire and stepping stones.
Featured photo by MIR
