Next year, Norway’s northern coast will gain a new architectural and cultural landmark. The Whale, a knowledge and experience center entirely dedicated to whales, will open to the public on June 4, 2027, in Andenes, on the island of Andøya—one of the best places on Earth for whale watching year-round.
The building, designed by Copenhagen-based Danish architect Dorte Mandrup, rises from the rocky coastal landscape as if the Earth’s crust had split open to reveal a hidden world beneath it. Its undulating roof, with no pillars to interrupt the interior space, evokes the back of a whale and is accessible to the public: visitors can walk across it and gaze down from above at the Norwegian Sea, the midnight sun in summer, or the Northern Lights in winter.
Inside, the exhibits—developed in collaboration with the firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates—combine science, art, and storytelling to explore the biology, behavior, and habitat of these marine mammals. Highlights include life-size wooden sculptures of five orcas identified in Norwegian waters, a Species Gallery featuring the 90 extant species of cetaceans, and a room dedicated to whale anatomy, with exhibits including baleen suspended from the ceiling and blood samples preserved in vials.
One of the most unique spaces will be a soundproof room designed around the frequencies of whale songs, some of which are so low-pitched that they can be physically felt in the body. The tour also includes the Library of Relations, dedicated to the history of industrial whaling and its impact.
The museum stands next to Ravnholmen, a rocky islet connected to the mainland by a causeway, and very close to the historic Andenes Lighthouse, which has been guiding ships since 1859. Directly across from it, the Bleik underwater canyon draws nutrient-rich waters that make the area a prime spot for observing whales in the wild.
Tickets will go on sale this fall, with a starting price of 540 Norwegian kroner (about 49 euros) for adults.
