an introduction to a place and a topic

Henningsvær

an introduction to a place and a topic

Henningsvær is a small fishing village in the region of Lofoten. Lofoten is an island region in the north of Norway, in the county of Nordland. Lofoten consist of five large islands and many small islands. Scattered around in the landscape there are small villages and cities, Henningsvær is one of them, with its approximately 500 inhabitants. Cod has been the foundation for the settlement here, and the place is still an active fishing village especially during “Lofot-fiske”, the period from late January till late April. In recent years Henningsvær and Lofoten in general has gained great attention both national and international as a tourist destination.  

At a glance Henningsvær can seem remote and isolated. A harsh drive out on a winding road between steep mountains and rough sea, far off from other people. When arriving and experiencing Henningsvær it might give you a whole different view on the place than isolated, of an almost internationalised settlement.

Henningsvær is a place shaped and based much upon its visitors, both tourists and the people wanting to live here, taking their impressions and influence from other places and fields of work. Artists, seasonal workers and tourists come and make marks of Henningsvær throughout a year.

How is value related to this notion of shifts and outer influence? How again is Henningsværs place-value for people, locally and internationally kept or challenged? How do its many users and connections challenge a place, like Henningsvær?

How is an outsider defined and by whom, on what basis?

Relating these questions in how tourism can both give growth, value and recognition, but also how it can overtake a local community, landscape and how fragile the trend of tourism in itself can be.

Mapping and registration of the places in the region of Lofoten to give a broad overview of the situation, but delving into Henningsvær as a case study.

What place is this-?

Who lives here -?

What is the built structures like-?

What house typologies exist here today and how can they be challenged both in the sense of keeping the branded “fishing-identity” with introducing new form and program, but also in the amount of houses and people the place can take as a developed tourist magnet in its furthest extent?

All of Lofoten, with Henningsvær being no exception, there’s abandoned buildings.  Ranging from ”just left the house”, to only the framework of the building left. How can we use these buildings as a possible bridge between a strong identity-of-place, that many of these buildings represent, and further growth and development?  Using some of Lofotens valuable layers in built form, to developing buildings and fragmented structures to new forms and possibilities.