On behalf of shipowner Holmøy Maritime, Norwegian architect studio Snøhetta has designed Holmen Industrial Area, a highly sophisticated and colorful 6,000 square meter fishing facility situated on the eastern side of Sortlandssundet in the archipelago of Vesterålen in Northern Norway. It has resulted in colorful headquarters for the Norwegian fishing industry business.
Founded in 1973 in Norway’s High North, seafood group Holmøy Maritime prides itself not only on sustainable wild fishing but also great architecture. “The world needs more clean, healthy and climate-friendly food and fish is our passion” is the company’s mission statement.
The company’s new facility intelligently blurs the distinction between the rawness of the fishing industry with a more polished corporate allure by subtly merging Holmøy Maritime’s trawling, fish farming and fish processing business and the company’s headquarters into four, distinctive buildings.
In 2014 Holmøy Maritime partnered with celebrated architecture studio Snøhetta to develop its headquarters in Vesterålen. A decade later, Snøhetta has delivered a 16,000 sq.m. facility at the fishery’s neighboring Liland site, which will process 150 tons of salmon a day.
Vesterålen is a district and archipelago in Nordland county. It is located just north of Lofoten and west of Harstad. It is the northernmost part of Nordland county. Sortland is the largest town, situated near the center of the archipelago.
By assembling all employees and top-notch facilities on the same site, this bold new facility ensures the region’s continued international success within Norway’s second largest industry – an industry worth over one billion dollars annually.
Through local ownership, Holmøy Maritime has built one of Norway’s largest seafood groups. The company’s main activity is the capture of wild fish and aquaculture. Through four modern fishing vessels and aquaculture permits, approximately 350 employees ensure that 225 million meals are produced each year, in total Holmøy produces 45,000 tons of seafood.
CEO Knut R. Holmøy says that it was important to invest in good architecture. It helps to capture attention, attract expertise, and create comfort and safety for those working in the company. “We offer the kinds of facilities that you might find in a city, but with better views of Norway’s northern landscape,” he says.
The buildings also include a guest house that functions as a home away from home for employees that need to rest their eyes between shifts at sea or on land.
Colorful Headquarters for Norwegian Fishing Industry Business, reported by Tor Kjolberg.
Feature image (on top) © Snøhetta
All other images © Holmøy Maritime AS