Design Unveiled for Northern Europe’s Largest Aquarium

London-based architecture studio Haptic has been selected to design an aquarium in Oslo, on the site of the city's former airport.

Located in Bærum -- on the outskirts of Oslo, Norway -- Haptic has released renderings of the design which draws inspiration from rock formations "svaberg" typical of the area.

The aquarium is part of a large-scale urban renewal plan to transform the waterfront of the city and invest in its development. The masterplan of the area will be undertaken by Norwegian architecture firm Rodeo in collaboration with Haptic and will include restaurants and bars, retail, offices and range of water-related activities.

Norwegian residential developer Selvaag has been given the task of carrying out the construction beginning in 2020, with an expected opening in 2023.

The aquarium will span more than 10,000 square metres and hold seven million litres of water -- giving it the distinction of being the largest aquarium in northern Europe.

Haptic Architects' Tomas Stokke said the project was a unique opportunity to bring their design abilities to the area.

The aquarium is located on a stunning site and is well-connected to the area and Oslo itself. I have always loved the Norwegian 'svaberg' rocks. They are beautiful, sculptural objects that form natural pockets, ponds and seating areas, gently heated by the sun. We wanted to recreate the qualities of [the rocks] in creating an Aquarium with a distinct Norwegian quality.”