Cold Hawaii

In Klitmøller, in the North of Denmark, there is a beach where nature has created the perfect conditions for surfing. This cold surf spot made its way to the international surf map due to the waves and has since been dubbed ”Cold Hawaii”.

Klitmøller is an old fisherman’s town with approximately 800 inhabitants. With the surf gaining popularity and more visitors come to Cold Hawaii, there is a need to cater for new users so that the surf culture can evolve and coexist with the traditional fishing culture.

In the competition NORD Architects proposed a design that would create a seamless bond between the two cultures. This lead to a design of new structures that were inspired by the traditional ”Ese-houses”, which is a typology that has been used by local fishermen for centuries.

In addition, NORD’s design became a strategy for how different content can be implemented in various locations in the area, both on the beach and other sites closer to the town.