‘The Whale’ Is The Perfect Spot For Watching Whales In The Arctic Circle, And The Building Looks Like It Grows Out Of The Landscape

When it comes to beautiful minimalism, it’s difficult to one-up Scandinavians. A gorgeous building called The Whale is rising out from the ground in the Arctic Circle on the northern coast of Norway. Created by Copenhagen-based Danish architectural studio Dorte Mandrup, the building on the Island of Andøya will resemble a giant rock outcrop and is one of the best places on Planet Earth to watch whales from.

Even though the development of The Whale had stalled for a bit after a large Viking-era settlement mound was discovered nearby, development is now back on track after it was ruled that The Whale will be a living piece of history and will promote tourism. We can expect The Whale to be opened in June 2023.

The newest images of The Whale were created by Bergen-based studio Mir. Check out the pictures of the building below, dear Pandas, and let us know what you think of it. Personally, seeing The Whale has reignited my desire to go adventuring again. And you can be sure that I’ll be there when the building opens in a few years.

More info: DorteMandrup.dk | Instagram | Facebook | TheWhale.no | Instagram | Facebook | Mir.no

The Whale is a building that will appear on the Norwegian coast and is designed by Copenhagen-based firm Dorte Mandrup

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

It’s designed in such a way as to look like it’s rising from the landscape. At the core of the philosophy is the idea of minimally-invasive design

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

The building will have space for whale-watching, a museum, offices, and even a cafe

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

The roof of the whale will encourage the growth of moss to help it better blend into the landscape

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

The Whale will open in 2023 on the Island of Andøya which is in Norway, in the Arctic Circle

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

Here are the plans of the building…

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

…and here are some more mockups of what the outside and the inside will look like

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

This spot in Norway is one of the best in the world to watch migrating whales

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

The Whale will have plenty more features, including impressive displays

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

Image credits: Dorte Mandrup

The building was purposefully designed in such a way as to blend in with the coastal landscape near the Norwegian town of Andenes. The site is near a deep-sea valley where migrating whales pass by.

The roof of The Whale will be made up of a single curved concrete shell. This “parabolic form effectively transmits the forces to three support points in the corners of the building, creating a large, inner column-free room,” explains the Dorte Mandrup team on their website.

The roof will be covered with stones that will crack and encourage moss growth. This will help the building blend into the landscape.

The design hopes to create awareness and inspire learning and conservation of whales and their environment in Norway. It’s one of the very few countries in the world where commercial hunting of minke whales is allowed.

Dorte Mandrup was founded by its eponymous creator in 1999. The team calls itself “die-hard overachievers” and aims to combine their firm grasp on reality with a knack for dreaming out loud.

People were ecstatic to learn about The Whale (and we bet some of them are already booking their trips to Norway)