This colorful factory looks so cool, you’ll forget it’s processing fish
Industrial architecture doesn’t have to be stark or minimalist. Snøhetta’s recently opened design for an extension of the headquarters of Holmøy Maritime, a Norwegian fish producer based in the northern village of Liland, showcases how such a facility can balance functionality and warmth. [Photo: Ketil Jacobsen/courtesy Snøhetta] Nina M. Solsrud, a Snøhetta senior interior architect who worked on the expansion project, was interested in creating a functional interior that worked like a machine, supporting all manner of production, manufacturing, cooling, and ventilation systems. [Photo: Ketil Jacobsen/courtesy Snøhetta] His team was challenged to meet the needs of the fishery’s production line while providing ample light and break space. While the layout of the new facility, as well as the custom typography and signage, came from a deep study of the operations and functioning of the plant, the colorful facade, thoughtful interiors, and comfortable canteen look as if they were lifted from a hospitality project. [Photo: Sebastian S. Bjerkvik/courtesy Snøhetta] Solsrud says that the multifaceted approach Snøhetta could take—offering graphic design, wayfinding, technical design, as well as thoughtful architecture plans—allowed this project to have a through line. Namely, a focus on both transparency and employee well-being. [Photo: Sebastian S. Bjerkvik/courtesy Snøhetta] The colors on the project reflect the natural surroundings and the imperatives of orderly operation at a large manufacturing site. On the sturdy exterior, panels of glossy royal blue, ochre yellow, and rich brown, which reflect the coastal landscape, are broken up with large glass windows, to better let in light during the changing seasons in the North Arctic. Etched patterns in the glass even mimic the scale patterns found on the fish in the building and the harbor. [Photo: Ketil Jacobsen/courtesy Snøhetta] “In Scandinavia, we have a kind of a weird relationship with the light,” says Solsrud, “Part of the year is very dark, and part of it is very light, and the further north you get, the more contrast you have.” [Photo: Ketil Jacobsen/courtesy Snøhetta] That’s why a colorful, light-filled interior was so important. Inside, blues, yellows, and reds demarcate different workspaces, and an elevated canteen design offers a much more hospitable setting than a standard break room. A flow between rooms creates separation between different parts of the production process and break rooms; Solsrud says that in some ways, it’s no different than the way the firm approaches something like a museum and its flow of patrons through different galleries. “One of the main focuses of this building is to be able to show in a transparent way how production takes place, while at the same time creating pleasant and adapted workplaces for the employees with large glass surfaces,” says Knut R. Holmøy, CEO of Holmøy Maritime. [Photo: Sebastian S. Bjerkvik/courtesy Snøhetta] Snøhetta has worked with the company for 12 years, and the relationship seems poised to continue. Earlier this month, at the opening weekend for the addition, locals toured the site and had a generally good impression, Solsrud says. Not every architecture tour ends with guests giving their resumes hoping to land a job inside the building.
Business Economic Syndicated News 
Industrial architecture doesn’t have to be stark or minimalist. Snøhetta’s recently opened design for an extension of the headquarters of Holmøy Maritime, a Norwegian fish producer based in the northern village of Liland, showcases how such a facility can balance functionality and warmth.
Nina M. Solsrud, a Snøhetta senior interior architect who worked on the expansion project, was interested in creating a functional interior that worked like a machine, supporting all manner of production, manufacturing, cooling, and ventilation systems.
His team was challenged to meet the needs of the fishery’s production line while providing ample light and break space. While the layout of the new facility, as well as the custom typography and signage, came from a deep study of the operations and functioning of the plant, the colorful facade, thoughtful interiors, and comfortable canteen look as if they were lifted from a hospitality project.
Solsrud says that the multifaceted approach Snøhetta could take—offering graphic design, wayfinding, technical design, as well as thoughtful architecture plans—allowed this project to have a through line. Namely, a focus on both transparency and employee well-being.
The colors on the project reflect the natural surroundings and the imperatives of orderly operation at a large manufacturing site. On the sturdy exterior, panels of glossy royal blue, ochre yellow, and rich brown, which reflect the coastal landscape, are broken up with large glass windows, to better let in light during the changing seasons in the North Arctic. Etched patterns in the glass even mimic the scale patterns found on the fish in the building and the harbor.
“In Scandinavia, we have a kind of a weird relationship with the light,” says Solsrud, “Part of the year is very dark, and part of it is very light, and the further north you get, the more contrast you have.”
That’s why a colorful, light-filled interior was so important. Inside, blues, yellows, and reds demarcate different workspaces, and an elevated canteen design offers a much more hospitable setting than a standard break room. A flow between rooms creates separation between different parts of the production process and break rooms; Solsrud says that in some ways, it’s no different than the way the firm approaches something like a museum and its flow of patrons through different galleries.
“One of the main focuses of this building is to be able to show in a transparent way how production takes place, while at the same time creating pleasant and adapted workplaces for the employees with large glass surfaces,” says Knut R. Holmøy, CEO of Holmøy Maritime.
Snøhetta has worked with the company for 12 years, and the relationship seems poised to continue. Earlier this month, at the opening weekend for the addition, locals toured the site and had a generally good impression, Solsrud says. Not every architecture tour ends with guests giving their resumes hoping to land a job inside the building.
