A taste of a future?

Emerging from the pristine Norwegian Hardangerfjord, a glistening orb floats peacefully. Salmon Eye, the descriptively named art installation, is made up of overlapping stainless steel ‘scales’ that allow it to mirror, and stand out from, its hauntingly beautiful environment.

Commissioned by nearby salmon farmers Eide and designed by Arne Kvorning, CEO of Kvorning ApS, its size becomes more apparent as you approach by electric boat. Enter and it feels larger still. Kvorning’s background in scenography becomes evident as three floors and an open terrace reveal themselves via a spiral, double helix staircase.

Below the waterline, the visitor is informed of the potential of sustainable aquiculture. Above, that potential is stunningly demonstrated in the Michelin star restaurant, Iris.

As Sebastian Torjusen, Managing Director explains, “It is quite futuristic, both from the outside and in the interior. As it is floating, it was important for us to create a comfortable interior so the guests would not feel alienated. Therefore, we have worked a lot on acoustics, materials, colours and shapes to create a modern, yet warm and welcoming environment.”

The kitchen, designed by TJERAND, was technically daunting: a working, viewable, confined kitchen, in a floating, and therefore moving, structure. Within a glass ellipse, Tjerand Gjerde and Kjartan Vagle worked with ‘honest’ materials of wood, stone and metal (in this case walnut and Norwegian granite) to craft two enormous kitchen islands, one of which hosts a vast expanse of Gaggenau Vario 400 series induction cooktops, Teppan Yaki and downdraft ventilation. Two large cabinets cleverly house equipment and the 200 series ovens. Impressively, all islands and cabinets are movable, offering complete flexibility to Head Chef Anika Madsen. Given Tjerand and Kjartan’s focus on materiality and their pursuit of “clear design with beautiful detail” it comes as no surprise that they find it “natural to work with Gaggenau”.