4. Where
Henningsvær
Henningsvær is a small fishing village in the region of Lofoten. Lofoten is an island region, archi-
pelago 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, Hen-
ningsvær is one of them, with its approximately 500 inhabitants. Henningsvær belongs to Vågan
municipality, where you also find the towns of Kabelvåg and Svolvær. Vågan, placed just outside
todays Kabelvåg, was the first town settlement in northern Norway.
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 Hen-
ningsvær and Lofoten in general has gained great attention both national and international as a
tourist destination.
Henningsvær is a place shaped and based much upon its visitors, from earlier times with fisher-
men now with both tourists and the people wanting to live here, taking their impressions and
influence from other places and fields of work. Today fishermen, artists, seasonal workers and
tourists come and make their mark on Henningsvær throughout a year.
What
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 both can 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.
(the story of) Where
Lofoten
For more than 1000 years Lofoten has had its established cod fishing season from late Janu-
ary to April. This is when the cod migrates from the Barents Sea to warmer climate in Lofoten to
spawn.
Even though Lofoten lies within the arctic circle the region experiences one of the largest elevat-
ed temperature anomalies in the world, seen relative to its altitude. This is because of the Gulf
Stream and the way the islands create a warm sheltered hub.
There are mainly three ways in how the large amount of cod is consumed. There is a relative
small amount of fish that is eaten as fresh fish. Then there is clipfish, which is preserved with
salt, and was previously dried outside, but the production has now been taken indoor. Stockfish
is dried fish hung on wooden racks called hjeller. The fish is hung up during winter season and
dries up during spring and early summer before its taken down. Fresh fish hung up on the racks
are a treat for seagulls, so specially during the first days they have to go guard their catch. They
can also put a fishing net over or a white flag to hold the birds away.
Over 30 000 fishermen came from trøndelag and along the coast up to Lofoten for the fishing
season at its most flourishing times Along with the fishermen came other casual labour that man-
aged for serving life ashore. In many ways the life during Lofot-fiske, the fishing season, came to
be influenced by that all layers of society got together and that none had authority over others.
Hence the saying of that Lofoten during fishing season was like a carneval with great feasts, lots
of happenings and with an almost anarchistic spirit.
The name of the archipelago derives from the word ló ‘lynx’, and form old Norse fótr wich means
‘foot’. The shape of the archipelagao must have resembled the foot of a lynx.
5. O! Seel est du Bonde, som Torsken kan faae,
Han føeder baad› dig og din Kone.
Du Torsk maae vel kaldes vor Næring og Brug,
Du skaffer fra Bergen saa mangen Tønd› Rug,
Den stakkels Nordfarer til Føde.
Barmhiertige Fader oplade din Hand,
Velsigne os fattige Folk her i Land
Med dine Velsignelser søde!
Skuld› Torsken os feyle, hvad havde vi da,
Hvad skulle vi føre til Bergen herfra?
Da seyled› vist Jægterne tomme.
Hvad have vi andet , her bygger og boer,
End søge vor Føde med Angel og Snor
Og pløie de Bølger hin gromme?
Og skulle de HErre forkorte din Hand,
At stænge Skrei-Torsken og Fiksen fra Land,
Da lagdes vi hasteligt øede
From Nordlands Trompet by Petter Dass
6.
7. Henningsvær
Henningsvær is situated at the foot of Mount Vågakaillen, and consists of a group of isles and
islets placed as a small cluster in the Vestfjord.From the middle ages the small fishing village had
a permanent settlement. They held both animals, grain production in addition to fishing. In 1667
the production of food was at such quantities that the local tax collector required tax for cheese
and grain production in Henningsvær. Henningsvær has a central placement almost in the midle
of Lofoten. If the ”innsig”, when the masses of cod came to Lofoten, were to come either in east
or west Lofoten diddent play any role since Henningsvær had this strategically good position.
Henninsgvær is a fishing village or fiskevær, a type of settlement that lies along the coast of Nor-
way, most prevalent in the north of Norway. The settlement was established because of fishing,
but would also have farming and animal husbandry. They started often as small house clusters
and developed into villages, and later on as some of todays established coastal cities. Trading
was an important part of the fiskevær, lots of them were fishermen selling their dried or salted fish
to tradesmen from Bergen, who later sold of the fish to tradesmen from Italy, Spain or Portugal.
It was late 1900 century that Henningsvær raised its position as the most important fiskevær
in Lofoten, one may even say in the world. It was with vær-owner Jens Hendrik Klæbo Drejer
(1811-1882) who was married into Henningsvær, with 19 years old Birgitte Lucie, that Hen-
ningsvær grew as the significant fiskevær it has become. In 1842 Drejer took over as væreier in
Henningsvær for the sum of 6000 spesidaler. In his time as vær-owner he was engaged in estab-
lishing Henningsvær as a village with a small hospital, a lighthouse and a chapel. As a private
person Drejer was amongst the richest in Nordland county.
8. With Henninsgværs growth Drejer placed the commercial trade for locals and fishermen such as
groceries, at Heimøya. The trade and storage for fish he put at Hellandsøya. The spirit trade was
placed discrete at Saltværingsholmen. And scattered around in the whole vær he were to place
rorbuer, so that the fishermen could come and stay in Henningsvær during the fishing. A rorbu is
a traditional type of seasonal house used by fishermen, normally located in a fishing village. The
buildings are built on land, but with the one end on poles in the water, so that they could easily
access their vessels. A guano factory was established in Henningsvær at the time Drejer was
vær-owner. Guano is a term for bird droppings and urine, collected and reused. Guano can be
used as manure as an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen with its
lack of odor. It was also an important source of nitrates for gunpowder.
In 1861 the first lines for telegraph were extended to Lofoten, with Drejer in a leading position of
the initiators. In 1882 Henningsvær was set in a bit of limbo when Hendrik Drejer died leaving
no heir to take over the fishing village. An English trademane bid 260 000 kroner for the whole of
Henningsvær, which was a lot of money at the time. Then Henningsvær consisted of 133 rorbuer,
seven piers, seven larger buildings they called “stuer”, three fishing houses ´(naust), coal stor-
age, house for salting of fish, bakery, a cod liver oil cookery, a forge, several storehouses, post
office, and a telegraph central. The locals protested loudly against the Englishmen’s wishes to
buying Henningsvær. So the state, on behalf of Nordland country, came in and bought Hennings-
vær.
From 1890 Henningsvær and Lofoten suffered from low fish seasons. Also the population de-
creased because of the hard conditions in the region. It was not until in 1920 that the cod was
back in large amounts and that Henningsvær experienced growth and prosperity once again. In
1922 they got electricity on the islands of Henningsvær and a few years later they were served
with water supplies from Austvågøy.
Harbour conditions in Henningsvær were a problem. The open neck of water known as Heimsun-
det, provided little shelter against the south-westerly winds and storm. A breakwater was then the
solution and the work was begun on the southern end of Heimsundet in1929. Construction work
took place only during the light times of the year, and it took five years to complete the work till
1934.
Getting to and from to the small islands were hard and difficult at times. In 1960 a ferry ran twice
a day to Kabelvåg and Svolvær, and in 1963 a more frequent ferry was set up between Festvåg
and Henninsgvær, which was only a kilometer or so away. In 1993 the bridges was set up to that
gave Henningsvær a permanent road link with the rest of Lofoten. In 1990 Henningsvær raised its
position as a tourist destination of international significance.
9.
10. The built Henningsvær
Henningsvær is situated out in the open sea, with the horizon line of the sea prominent in all
directions but towards the north where Vågakallen lies as sheltered the small group of isles. The
built Henninsgvær is placed such as to easily access the sea, which has been the reason for
settlement here. The buildings closest to the shoreline are for fishing and industrial purposes.
Behind them there is a mix of private housing, commercial enterprises, school, church and open
land. On the west side of Henningsvær lie the tightest clusters of houses, with an almost urban
character.
The section that goes through Henningsvær with (private) house, docks, sea, docks, house is
significant for the small village. The meeting between the private and the public buildings is care-
fully thought of. It serves with a dynamic of an urban settlement. The docks are public and lie
between the privately owned fishing and industrial buildings and the shoreline. The sea, which
is now formed as a bay with the breakwater, functions almost like a piazza or a town square.
The docks function as the pavements. Even though the section along the built settlement of
Henningsvær is founded upon a strong and similar character, the visual languages of the build-
ings have great variety. There are almost not two buildings that are alike. There is a great mix of
height, new and old, roof angles, materials and appearance. Then one may say that is more the
differences than the similarities that stand out as the characterics of Henningsvær built environ-
ment. In spite of this the village appears as a whole, this could then be because of the way the
larger landscape plays in as a unit that surrounds the place.
11. Expressions of concepts
Tourism
The act of travelling or sightseeing, particularly away from one’s home collectively, the tourists
visiting a place or landmark. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people “traveling
to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year
for leisure, business and other purposes”.
Value
In ethics, value is a property of objects, including physical objects as well as abstract objects
(e.g. actions), representing their degree of importance.
Growth
Growth refers to an increase in some quantity over time. The quantity can be: Physical (e.g.,
growth in height, growth in an amount of money) Abstract (e.g., a system becoming more com-
plex, an organism becoming more mature)
Contrasts
difference, dissimilarity, disparity, distinction, contradistinction, divergence, variance, variation,
differentiation; contradiction, incongruity, opposition, polarity. Antonymous similarity.
12. What
Lofoten
Who owns the natural landscape - and how do we share it?
Resources: Fish
Nature
A strategy for preserving and developing
13. How do we face a future where tourism has become the main sector on which Lofoten relies?
A study in the potential development of mass-tourism in Lofoten.
14. How can the communities of Lofoten develop in a sustainable way?
A way of preserving nature and identity, while facilitating for change and growth.
15. What
Henningsvær
How do we redesign and transform to facilitate for seasonal changes?
Planning for variations.
The Place and its identities – What becomes of authenticity when the fishing community
disappears?
An ever-changing authenticity.
16. What
Building
Do the seasonal variations in habitation of Henningsvær call for new ways of building?
Building for changing needs.
17. How does the climatic changes affect the building methods?
Building for dramatic scenarios.
18. How can existing buildings be reused and transformed to facilitate for changing and fluctuating
programmes?
Redefining the identity through transformation.
19. How
some(how)
Production:
A research into the region of Lofoten
A study into, and mapping of Henningsvær
A building (or buildings) adapted to, and confronting the needs of
Henningsvær.
Methods of investigation: Model
Photo and collage
Drawing
Littterature
1:1 sketching
1:1 action
Video
Interview
Workshop
Field study
Living in Henningsvær
Materials to Produce:
Photo series from Henningsvær harbour
Video
Texts uncovering
Drawings and sketches from landscape + life
1:1 sketches showing potentials for transformation
Personal texts depicting life in the community
Models, various scales, wood/ soap/ plaster
20. CV CV
Name: Name:
Espen Flatin Drogseth Ingjerd Veronica Daae Dring
Education:
Bergen School of Architecture 2000-2003 Videregående/High school, Hedemarken Waldorf School
2006-2009 Bachelor degree 2003-2004 Folkehøyskole/college at Lofoten Folkehøyskole, course
2010-2012 Master courses Telemark-skiing/climbing
Fall ´10 Northern Lines 2004-2005 Travelled and worked at organic farms in Asia/Oceania
Spring ´11 Eastern Promise 2005-2006 Årstudium/foundation level of Social Anthropology at University of Bergen
Fall ´11 Complex Context 2006-2009 Bachelor of Architecture at Bergen School of Architecture (BAS)
2009-2010 Worked for Plan and urban office in Hamar municipality. Travelled and
Work experience: worked at organic farms in UK.
Mental health Nurse Aid 2001-2008 2010- Exchange program at diploma department at University of East London
Music A & R 2002-2004 2011-2012 Master program at Bergen School of Architecture
Remote Studio
Complex Context
2000-2011(summer) worked as a dairymaid on a mountain farm in
Trollheimen/Trøndelag in Norway
2006-2011 Worked part-time as a care worker at an antroposophic institution for
people with learning difficulties.
