71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, but only 2% of the world’s per capita food consumption originates from the sea. UN estimates that we are going to need 56% more food to feed 10 billion people by 2050. At the same time, land usage cannot increase, and carbon emissions have to be lowered by 67%.
Located in Hardanger Fjord in southwest Norway, Salmon Eye is an offshore interactive exhibition area and art installation exploring the sustainable aquaculture industry. The project started in 2019, and after a long period of design work, the building process began in July 2021 and finished in August this year. Initiated by Eide Fjordbruk, the world’s first and, yet, only carbon-neutral salmon producer, it’s created as a symbol for, and a forum meant to inspire and inform the world on, sustainable seafood. The concept design was made by Kvorning Design in collaboration with Brigh Norway (now Creative Technologies). With a weight of 1,256 tonnes, and a diameter of 25 meters, the area is more than 1,000 m2 divided over four levels — one of which is under water.
Eide Fjordbruk aims to take visitors on a journey through design, interaction, dramaturgy, facts, terms, and experiences, adopting a global perspective on local challenges, solutions, and innovations. The mission for Salmon Eye is three-fold:
— Inspire a mind shift whereby the ocean is recognized as an important food source.
— Inform current and future generations about sustainable seafood practices.
— Improve, always raising the bar and setting the standard for the future of aquaculture.
For the inside of the structure, Kvadrat Acoustics has developed a custom solution, using 800 trapezoidal acoustic panels, called Soft Cells. These are upholstered with a bespoke gradient weave, made in Norway and moving from dark to light, from bottom to top of the building — to resemble a salmon eye.
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