The building rises from a rock face jutting up from the ocean at Skutvik in Nordland, Norway. Steni Vision façade panels give the Arctic Salmon Center a unique and notable appearance. “It has been unbelievably exciting to work with such a special building in such a special place. This is a quite extraordinary building, that has been greeted with astonishment by my colleagues,” comments architect Peter W. Söderman at Norconsult AS. “We chose Vision panels from Steni due to the printing possibilities – we could project an exciting and quite subtle print onto a large surface." The client wanted to have an expressive building that reflected their purpose as an experience center for the fishing industry.
Façade Panels for a Harsh Environment
The print pattern on the façade panels creates an illusion of salmon scales, while the contrasting shading helps to downplay the building’s height and blend it into the landscape - and the harsh weather conditions on the coast of the northern Norwegian Sea. To meet the demands of the northern climate and proximity to the sea, the chosen panels are a robust stone composite, impact-resistant, frost-resistant, and water impermeable. This impermeability means the panels could be submerged in water without swelling, and that the edges of the Steni panels don't require sealing.
Söderman adds that the 60-year functional warranty was also an important factor in their choice. The long warranty guarantees minimal building maintenance - all the panels require is simple cleaning - meaning lower lifetime costs. “It’s an incredibly harsh location, exposed to incessant seafoam, wind, and snow, and the building is also not easy to access. This made it really important to choose a robust façade material that could go long periods without maintenance.”
Seamless Integration of Architecture and Landscape
“We are really proud to have been chosen as a supplier to a project that has been as thoroughly thought out from an architectural standpoint,” says Jan Terje Nielsen, Chief Communication & Brand Manager at Steni. “The building has a unique expression and blends in with the vulnerable landscape. The architects have done an outstanding job with, for example, the color-shading on the façade panels – which downplay the building’s height and volume.”
The building is situated adjacent to a cliffside, overlooking the fish farm in the sea. The architect's inspiration for the form of the Center was drawn from the shape of the mountain slope itself. With the goal of minimizing the amount of intervention made to the terrain as much as possible, the project instead was designed to settle among the existing landscape and provide views out to the stunning natural setting.
Steni’s printing technology makes it possible for architects, artists, and illustrators to project their visions in an almost infinite scope. In this case, the print patterns on the façade panels create an illusion of salmon scales. Steni Vision panels provide a wealth of design opportunities with fourteen standard designs and three gloss variations. For a custom design or illustration, Steni will also help you adjust your vision to work in a large format.
Test it yourself! Try the STENI façade generator and experiment with various façade options in the Steni Pattern Generator. You can also download a list of all available patterns for Standard and Semi Standard panels at the Steni website.
