Model behaviour

Salmon Eye, an offshore interactive exhibition area and art installation that explores sustainable aquaculture industry, integrates a Kvadrat Acoustic solution across its interior. The venue emerges, like a glistening pebble, from the waters of Hardanger Fjord in southwest Norway.

The solution comprises Soft Cells acoustic panels that cover the ceiling and walls of the ellipsoid interior as one continuous surface. They promote aural and visual comfort and are covered in a bespoke textile, which moves from dark to light, from the base to the top of the building. The bespoke textile was designed and woven by Kvadrat's textile mill in Innvik, Norway. Furthermore, the panels seamlessly integrate openings for building services, such as sprinklers and lights.

To ensure perfectly consistent angles and a uniform 3mm gap between the panels, the Kvadrat Acoustics team created a bespoke rail-based substructure for the Salmon Eye. This bespoke element also makes it easy to maintain and demount the acoustic panels.

During the initial development phase, to guarantee all the Soft Cells acoustic panels follow the irregular structural rhythm of the building, the Kvadrat Acoustic team relied on a 3D model which employed regularly updated 3D scan data from the building site, as well as prototypes and mock-ups. This approach ultimately led to the creation of groups of repeating panel shapes in combination with 250 unique panels, each precisely following features within the building, such as around windows.

Salmon Eye was commissioned by Eide Fjordbruk and takes visitors on a sensual journey through design, interaction, dramaturgy, facts, terms, and experiences. In doing so, it adopts a global perspective on local challenges, solutions, and innovations - especially the sustainability issues concerning global aquaculture.