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Description

Storvågan, 8310 Kabelvåg
Storvågan lies in a south-facing spot, walking distance from the fishing village of Kabelvåg. The fishing station and farm had its heyday during the nineteenth century and today it is the main site of the Lofoten Museum, with offices and exhibition spaces.

The present-day buildings are on a hill overlooking the sea and are organized around a square-shaped courtyard. The large and stately main building dates from 1815
its main façade and entrance face south towards the sea. The kitchen entrance is on the courtyard side and around the courtyard are the buildings housing, amongst other things, a general store, servants' quarters, cowshed and stables. Today, everything is used for exhibitions and other museum projects, see http://www.lofotmuseet.no/.

The main building, painted white, extends over two tall storeys, crowned by a steep, slate-tiled gable roof. This is a mid-hallway house of double depth. Mid-hallway means that the main entrance and hallway are situated in the middle of the house, with a large room/lounge on either side. Double-depth means that the house extends so far back that there is space for an additional room behind the two lounges facing the sea. This layout provides a sea-facing façade extending symmetrically around the main entrance
this is one of the main features of the empire style. The main entrance extends outwards with a large step and a richly-detailed portal, also in the empire style. The cross-windows with smaller panes and the frame surrounding the windows are also characteristic of this style period, and the design and detail are characteristic of a large house.

The old garden of the fishing station is situated on the hillside between the main building and the sea. It is bounded by a stone wall on its lower side and picket fencing at the sides. The big old trees are from the station's heyday. Herbaceous perennials, typical of old gardens in Lofoten, were added later, see http://www.lofothager.no/.

From Storvågan there is a marked cultural footpath to the centre of Kabelvåg and on to Vågan Church, one of the largest wooden churches in the country.

Year of construction

1815

Client

Caspar Friedrich Lorch and others

Building Type

Fishing station
museum

Construction System / Materials

Wood
notched log construction
stanchion construction

Literature

Bertelsen, Reidar: Fotefar mot nord. Vågar. Den første byen i nord, Bodø 1995.

Nordland fylkeskommune: Kulturminneplan for Lofoten, Trondheim 2008.

Map

Lofotmuseet
Lofotmuseet
Lofotmuseet
Lofotmuseet
Lofotmuseet