Ocean Stories
Transborder designs ocean museum 70 degrees north in wood, aluminium and local stone.
Ocean Stories will give visitors from home and abroad a deeper understanding of the ocean, aquaculture and marine resource management from an Arctic perspective. Ocean Stories is a generator project for a larger harbour revitalization in Honningsvåg. The building aims to become a meeting place for the local community and the aquaculture industry.
“A visitor centre of world class”
Jan Morten Hansen, Mayor of Nordkapp municipality
The small exhibition building is located by the harbour of Honningsvåg and has views towards one of the busiest cruise ports in Norway. The ambition for architect and client has been to create a project that contributes to local place development, both in form and function. The local community and surroundings have been the starting point for exploring sustainable solutions 70 degrees north.
The project is located within a cultural environment consideration zone. The reconstruction architecture, together with the simple and perhaps somewhat rough harbour architecture, has been the basis for design choices. The building is a simple gable-roof volume with modest, yet fine details. Throughout, the ocean has been an inspiration for the architects.
The base is clad in a 6-centimetre thick masi-quartzite from Kautokeino. The patterns in the stone give associations to waves and ripples in the sea, and the façade thus becomes a frieze of sea panels. The rest of the building is clad with corrugated sheets in recycled aluminium (75% recycling rate). The main structure is in CLT and was assembled on the quay in occasionally rough weather. In the interior the CLT walls are exposed. A lot of effort has been put into details and unique solutions in both the interior, exterior and outdoor areas.
The two upper floors are exhibition rooms, while the first floor is intended as a meeting place for locals and visitors. The exhibitions explore the history of Honningsvåg’s fisheries, environmental challenges facing the aquaculture industry and potential future solutions. In addition, the building functions as a workstation for researchers, with a focus on research related to the ocean and coastal areas. During the off-season, the building’s flexible use can accommodate educational activities, small gatherings, and community events, contributing to the building’s role as an important social and cultural hub.
The contractor has been BMBA from Alta. There has been a good and trusting collaboration between all parties in the construction process.
