Project: The Whale
Architecture: Dorte Mandrup
Photo: Terje Løkke
Geo: Andenes, Norway
You know what I love about this journal? We launched a new "Projects of the Week" section, and you chose the whale-watching center project The Whale for a detailed review. Then it turned out that the daughter of one of our subscribers is interning at Dorte Mandrup. They shared a high-quality press release and construction photos with us, so today’s review comes straight from the source.
Andøya Island lies 300 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle. The small town of Andenes sits at the very edge — beyond it, only the ocean and the deep underwater canyon Bleiksdjupa, where whales migrate every year. It’s one of the best places in the world to see them up close. (I personally never managed to spot them in Teriberka.)
In January 2014, a group of enthusiasts led by mayor Jonni Solsvik gathered at the local whale center to discuss how to turn Andenes into a global destination. That’s when the idea of The Whale was born — and that same evening they decided: let’s do it.
Five years later, the idea evolved into an international competition. Thirty-seven teams competed for the right to design the center. Finalists included BIG, Snøhetta, and Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, but Dorte Mandrup won the competition. Winning in such a league is an achievement in itself.
The architects proposed a building concept rising from the rocky shore like a soft hill, "as if a giant had lifted a thin layer of the earth’s crust and created a cavity beneath it." Structurally, it is a single curved concrete shell supported at only three corner points, creating a column-free space of 3,750 m². The parabolic form spans large distances with minimal material use while also reducing snow accumulation. It reminds me of my favorite airport in Gelendzhik.
The roof is covered with untreated local stone. Over time it will darken, become covered with moss, and almost blend into the surrounding cliffs. Visitors will be able to walk on the roof, which will serve as a viewing platform overlooking the archipelago, the ocean, and the northern lights.
Inside The Whale, floor-to-ceiling panoramic glazing makes the surrounding rocks part of the interior. The 1,800 m² exhibition space is being designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and Tamschick Media + Space, who plan to create a multisensory environment using projections, light, sound, and scent.
The project budget is around € 56 million. Groundbreaking took place in June 2025, and active construction began this year. The opening is scheduled for June 3, 2027 — more than ten years passed from the first discussion at the whale center to laying the first stone.
"The journey has been long. The involvement of the local community and The Whale team was inspiring and crucial in getting us to this stage," says Kasper Pilemand, partner and project director at Dorte Mandrup.
The Whale fits naturally into Dorte’s portfolio, which focuses on buildings in environmentally fragile areas, often protected by UNESCO. It will be fascinating to see how the northern mosses grow across the roof over the next five years. We’ll be following the project closely.
@gorkjournal · GORK
3D · Photo · Render · Ai
Architecture: Dorte Mandrup
Photo: Terje Løkke
Geo: Andenes, Norway
You know what I love about this journal? We launched a new "Projects of the Week" section, and you chose the whale-watching center project The Whale for a detailed review. Then it turned out that the daughter of one of our subscribers is interning at Dorte Mandrup. They shared a high-quality press release and construction photos with us, so today’s review comes straight from the source.
Andøya Island lies 300 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle. The small town of Andenes sits at the very edge — beyond it, only the ocean and the deep underwater canyon Bleiksdjupa, where whales migrate every year. It’s one of the best places in the world to see them up close. (I personally never managed to spot them in Teriberka.)
In January 2014, a group of enthusiasts led by mayor Jonni Solsvik gathered at the local whale center to discuss how to turn Andenes into a global destination. That’s when the idea of The Whale was born — and that same evening they decided: let’s do it.
Five years later, the idea evolved into an international competition. Thirty-seven teams competed for the right to design the center. Finalists included BIG, Snøhetta, and Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, but Dorte Mandrup won the competition. Winning in such a league is an achievement in itself.
The architects proposed a building concept rising from the rocky shore like a soft hill, "as if a giant had lifted a thin layer of the earth’s crust and created a cavity beneath it." Structurally, it is a single curved concrete shell supported at only three corner points, creating a column-free space of 3,750 m². The parabolic form spans large distances with minimal material use while also reducing snow accumulation. It reminds me of my favorite airport in Gelendzhik.
The roof is covered with untreated local stone. Over time it will darken, become covered with moss, and almost blend into the surrounding cliffs. Visitors will be able to walk on the roof, which will serve as a viewing platform overlooking the archipelago, the ocean, and the northern lights.
Inside The Whale, floor-to-ceiling panoramic glazing makes the surrounding rocks part of the interior. The 1,800 m² exhibition space is being designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and Tamschick Media + Space, who plan to create a multisensory environment using projections, light, sound, and scent.
The project budget is around € 56 million. Groundbreaking took place in June 2025, and active construction began this year. The opening is scheduled for June 3, 2027 — more than ten years passed from the first discussion at the whale center to laying the first stone.
"The journey has been long. The involvement of the local community and The Whale team was inspiring and crucial in getting us to this stage," says Kasper Pilemand, partner and project director at Dorte Mandrup.
The Whale fits naturally into Dorte’s portfolio, which focuses on buildings in environmentally fragile areas, often protected by UNESCO. It will be fascinating to see how the northern mosses grow across the roof over the next five years. We’ll be following the project closely.
@gorkjournal · GORK
3D · Photo · Render · Ai