The Whale is taking shape on Norway’s Arctic coast, where a new cultural and knowledge centre dedicated to whales is being built in Andenes, on the island of Andøya. Designed by Danish architect Dorte Mandrup, the building rises directly from the rocky shoreline and is due to open to the public on 4 June 2027, combining architecture, science, art and research in one of Europe’s best-known whale-watching areas.
The Whale is designed as part of the Norwegian landscape
Located around 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, The Whale has been conceived less as a conventional museum building than as an extension of the coastal landscape.
The project, described by Domus, consists of a broad curved structure that appears to emerge from the ground. From the inland side, its profile can resemble the back of a whale surfacing from the sea, while towards the coast it becomes lower and more tapered.
Its large parabolic roof will be covered with local stone and will also function as a publicly accessible viewpoint overlooking the ocean. The structure is anchored to the ground at only three points, allowing the main interior to remain largely free of intermediate structural supports.
Large windows facing the sea will connect the exhibition spaces with the surrounding landscape and the waters where whales can regularly be observed.
The project follows other works by Dorte Mandrup in northern environments, including the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre in Greenland and the forthcoming Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre in Canada.
Why Andenes is closely connected to whales
The choice of Andenes is closely linked to the geography of the surrounding sea. Near the northern tip of Andøya, the Bleik Canyon (Bleiksdjupet) extends towards the coast and reaches deep water only around 10 kilometres offshore.
Nutrient-rich waters rising through the canyon support a particularly productive marine ecosystem. According to The Whale, this makes Andenes one of the few places where whales can be encountered throughout the year.
Sperm whales are among the animals most strongly associated with the area, while other cetaceans including orcas, humpback whales, fin whales and minke whales can also be found in the waters around Andøya depending on the season.
Whale-watching activities have operated from Andenes since the late 1980s, making cetaceans an established part of the local tourism economy as well as an important subject of scientific research.
A centre combining science, art and storytelling
The Whale will not operate simply as a traditional natural history museum. Its developers describe it as a knowledge and experience centre exploring whales, the ocean and the changing relationship between humans and cetaceans.
The interior programme will combine exhibitions with sound, art, storytelling and scientific material. Visitors will encounter topics ranging from whale evolution and biology to migration, communication and marine ecosystems.
The building will also include a visitor centre, research facilities, offices, a café and a shop.
The project began as a local initiative in 2014. Dorte Mandrup won the international architectural competition in 2019, while construction eventually began after more than a decade of planning and financing.
The centre is owned by The Whale AS, whose largest shareholder is Andøy Municipality (Andøy kommune), alongside several private owners. Financing has come from a combination of public and private sources.
Norway still allows commercial whaling
The centre is also being built within a wider Norwegian relationship with whales that remains more complex than tourism and conservation alone.
Norway is one of the few countries that continues to permit commercial whaling, specifically the hunting of minke whales. Under the 2026 regulations, licensed Norwegian vessels were allocated a total quota of 1,641 minke whales.
The Norwegian government argues that the hunt is based on sustainable management of an abundant population, while commercial whaling remains internationally contested.
Against that background, a centre devoted to understanding whales, their ecosystems and the history of human interactions with them carries an additional significance. The Whale itself intends to address not only how humans study and admire cetaceans, but also how they have hunted and exploited them.
The Whale will open in June 2027
Construction is now progressing on the waterfront next to the historic Andenes Lighthouse, with the building’s curved geometry increasingly visible from the coastline.
The official inauguration is scheduled for 3 June 2027, followed by the public opening on 4 June. The centre plans to operate throughout the year, reflecting Andenes’ unusual position as a destination where whale encounters are possible beyond the traditional summer tourist season.
When completed, The Whale will add another major work to Dorte Mandrup’s growing portfolio of architecture in Arctic and sub-Arctic landscapes. At Andenes, however, the landscape is not simply the setting for the building: it is the reason the building is there.
