Resulting from a design competition initiated by The Whale AS back in 2019, the organization sought design proposals that created a unique experience for spectators to enjoy large underwater visitors common to the area. The site's location is a popular whale-watching site in Andenes just north of Andøya, an island in Norway 186 miles within the Arctic Circle. 

After beating out other big-name firms like Snøhetta and BIG, Dorte Mandrup was named the winner. Børre Berglund, CEO of The Whale AS, expressed much praise towards the design proposal. He's shared with the press "the project from Dorte Mandrup is a clear winner [...] It is poetic and low-key and at the same time a very exciting and unusual building."

As we enter 2021, visuals for the project have already made their rounds in the media thanks to Bergen-based studio Mir who provided visualization renders for Dorte Mandrup and the project. 

Praises for the museum's seamless structural design and connection to the surrounding landscape are on par with many of Dorte Mandrup's past projects like the Thy National Park Center in Denmark and the Wadden Sea Centre. Their attention to site details and subtle design cues is a reminder to why The Whale museum is another hit. 

In describing the project, the firm explains, "the form of the roof is defined by three high points on the site, and the foundation is influenced by the landscape beneath it. The surface of the roof is covered with natural, unworked stones from the area, and large windows opening towards the archipelago underline the connection between landscape and building. The curved roof becomes a new viewpoint that visitors and locals are invited to walk on." 

With all the excitement over the project, plans to move forward encounter a delay due to a large settlement mound that soon became protected by the Cultural Heritage Act in Norway. In October 2020, MyModernMet reported the decision to move forward and proceed with the project was approved thanks to a motion recognizing The Whale and its role as an important cultural and tourist landmark for the area.

Its facade and unassuming, curved, concrete roof create a space suited for enjoying the surrounding environment and its whale visitors. Inside the museum, exhibitions will "curate a meeting between whale and human, nature, and culture. Through art and science, a visit to The Whale will be a poetic exploration of different universes – below and above water – inspired by the whales' journey around the globe," describes the firm. Despite the delay, the museum aims to open in June 2023.