unveiled ‘salmon eye’ forum center floats in norway, accessible only by ferry

Salmon Eye in Hardangerfjord, Norway revealed

Salmon Eye, a floating installation and exhibition space, was recently unveiled in Norway’s Hardangerfjord on September 8th, 2022. The forum center hopes to inform visitors about the aquaculture of sea farming and what harms and protects the sea and its species. Its upcoming events include hosting talks that aim to inspire, share ideas, and discuss the importance of sustainable aquaculture with its guests.

Before its reveal, designboom reported that the building, designed by Kvorning Design, would take its design cues from a fish eye with a hole on top of the architecture. True to its nature, the floating architecture and art installation curves for its ellipsoid design, bathed in 9,500 stainless steel shaped like scales to imitate the appearance and color of fish. Danish firm Kvorning Design also took on the interior which boasts 650 sqm of experiences. Salmon Eye weighs 1,256 tonnes, has a diameter of 25 meters, and is divided into four floors, one of which is underwater.

Educating on sustainable seafood and fish farming

The design concept of Salmon Eye owes its roots in Kvorning Design in collaboration with Brigh Norway (now Creative Technologies). The creation of the floating installation began through Eide Fjordbruk, a long-time salmon producer within the neighborhood. Now run by third-generation owners, Sondre and Erlend Eide, the Salmon Eye comes forward as a dedication in memory of the new owners’ father while reinstating their mission to educate visitors on sustainable seafood, fish farming, and salmon production. Salmon Eye strives to help its visitors recognize the ocean as an important food source, inform them on the present and future seafood practices, and overview what the standards of aquaculture in the future would look and be like.

Exhibitions and information center are underway

The idea of the Salmon Eye project started in 2019. The design and building process had taken place in July 2021 after a bout of discussions, and the building was completed in August 2022, in time for its opening in September 2022. Kvorning Design wrote their gratitude to Sondre Eide and the entire family and team at Eide Fjordbruk AS for their trust and cooperation with the design and communications firm around the realization of the experiential design for Salmon Eye. 

project info:

name: Salmon Eye

concept, architecture, & design: Kvorning Design, Creative Technologies AS

location: Hardangerfjord, Norway

owner: Eide Fjordbruk AS

basic design: Maritime Engineering

detailed design: Trium OÜ

contractor: Fluctus AS

builder: Marketex Marine OÜ

interior vision: KIND Conceptual branding AS, Michelsens AS

BIM coordination & design: HEUT Design OÜ, Upstairs OÜ