Natalia Mikulska

Salthavn, proposes an architecture which emerges from the local heritage of Nordby. A place where tradition and nature intertwine on the edge of the coast. The craft of producing bakskuld is reinstated through an architecture that celebrates and expands on the knowledge of the local people.

A series of graduation towers rise, their peaks reaching through the foggy mornings. These towers, while functional, are breath itself, inhaling the sea wind and exhaling it nourished with the healing powers of salt.

The towers line the approach to the main programme of the project. They are derived from the island’s deep-rooted history of bakskuld—the time-honoured craft of air-drying salted fish. As the scent of the drying fish is carried by the wind into the sea air, the towers stand as monuments of a tradition that has sustained the people of Fanø throughout history. The structures stand for both the memory of tradition and its presence.

Beyond the towers, a health and spa centre, workshops, a community kitchen and restaurant emerge. Like fingers reaching into the sea, the community kitchen and restaurant extend beyond the shoreline. This is where the sea, wind and salt shape the flavours of Nordby. They are places where the community gathers, not only to cook but to connect, create and reminisce.

The entire programme becomes a celebration of salt, wind, and sea. It is a place where time simultaneously stands still and rushes forward, the past and the present become one. The simple, yet important ritual of breathing the salt-laden air is transformed into a space for healing, connection, and nourishment. Here, the essence of Fanø is not just felt, but experienced, in every breath and taste, all through the gradation towers to the community kitchen and the restaurant.