Overview
Iris is an offshore restaurant in Norway accessible only by ferry, famous for its 18-course “expedition dining” (Sharon Rose 2023) experience. It instantly brings back our memory of Tuju restaurant in São Paulo introduced a fortnight ago. They do share certain similarities such as the creative course menu and local food source, but above all the concept of food sustainability shared by both is truly impressive.
Having said that, an anticipation of another restaurant exploration is not what we intend for this article. The location in which Iris is housed is! It is Salmon Eye, the world’s largest floating art installation that we will explore this week and altogether we will elaborate the role stainless steel plays in it.
Salmon Eye
Salmon Eye is a magnificent floating aquaculture tourist attraction, an art installation and a fine dining restaurant after dark, situated on the north side of Snilstveitøy in the middle of the Hardangerfjord. It is 26 meters in diameter and 14.55 meters in height. Based on a floating platform, it weighs 1256 tons, able to withstand up to 4m-high waves. The Eye features four floors with the bottom one submerged under water. It covers an area of 1000 m2, with the interior space amounting to 650 m2.
Apart from the exhibition areas that provide guests with immersive audio-visual display throughout the four floors, Salmon Eye also has its exclusive restaurant Iris, a private cinema, multiple conference rooms as well as flexible spaces to host events. On its rooftop is an observation terrace that offers 360 degree views of the world’s fifth longest fjord and the remote mountains in the surroundings. Whether for learning more about salmon farming, or for a unique culinary adventure, Salmon Eye is a good place to go. It is also a famous landmark in Norway.
Background Information of Salmon Eye
The project of Salmon Eye was launched, thanks to the third generation owners Sondre and Erlend Eide of their family business Eide Fjordbruk, a brand salmon producer in Norway. Eide Fjordbruk was the first to propose environmental impacts in this industry and also the first aquaculture company to produce carbon-neutral salmon.
Salmon Eye was completed in August 2022, from an idea originated in 2019 when the brothers wanted to create something valuable to remember their father. In 2021 the experimental plans were disclosed. The intention of the project was to raise people’s awareness on aquaculture as a food source from the ocean, the seafood practices of today and what it might be for the tomorrow (David Nikel 2022). The concept development was reasonably centered around global aquaculture and environmental sustainability.
Apart from private reason as above mentioned, the establishment of Salmon Eye served as a good example of the salmon farming in Norway. since 1980s, overfishing has almost exhausted 90% of the world’s fish stock. Nowadays over half of all fish consumed are farmed. With over 50 years’ development, aquaculture has become common.
However, there were critics of certain industry practices. With Salmon Eye as an educational forum, people’s mind could be changed. Have to mention, seafood plays a substantial role in Norway’ s economy, second only to oil and gas. It is hard not to associate salmon with Norway. Of all the fish exported from Norway, salmon alone makes up 2/3 of the sales revenue.
The Design of Salmon Eye
A view from atop would reveal the shape of a fish eye. Salmon Eye, as thus titled, fully fulfilled the firm’s design vision. With a silver and elliptical shape, Salmon Eye has also been descried UFO-like. The exterior bright and shiny façade was actually designed to mimic salmon’s silver skin. Salmon Eye was created by Danish studio Kvorning Design who was ambitious to build an international icon for Eide Fjordbruk and transform aquaculture in the future. It was intentionally created to learn, teach, and discuss salmon farming.
The concept of sustainable aquaculture was not restricted to the seafood produced by Eide Fjordbruk but reflected in every detail for the Salmon Eye from the material selection to the two all-electric boats Malm and Melder carrying guests to the floating center. According to Kvorning Design. "I am convinced that the floating aquaculture information center and art installation will be setting new standards for sustainable aquaculture in every aspect. Design, interaction, research, technology, and immersive experiences. " (Adam Williams 2022)
S31254 Stainless Steel Plates Applied in Salmon Eye
According to World Steel Association AISBL (2026), 9250 stainless steel plates are applied to the exterior façade of Salmon Eye to imitate the fish scales. These are not common grades, not marine grade 316L nor duplex stainless steel 2205. They are high-molybdenum stainless steel UNS S31254 (also known as 254SMO), containing 6% Mo (MolyReview 2/2023). The chemical compositions of 316L, S31254, and 2205 are all listed below for direct comparison,
| ASTM A240/A240M-24 | ||||||||||
| Chemical Compositions (%) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | Mn | P | S | Si | Cr | Ni | Mo | N | Cu |
| 316L | ≦0.03 | ≦2.00 | ≦0.045 | ≦0.030 | ≦0.75 | 16.0-18.0 | 10.0-14.0 | 2.00-3.00 | ≦0.10 | … |
| S31254 | ≦0.020 | ≦1.00 | ≦0.030 | ≦0.010 | ≦0.80 | 19.5-20.5 | 17.5-18.5 | 6.0-6.5 | 0.18-0.25 | 0.50-1.00 |
| S32205 | ≦0.03 | ≦2.00 | ≦0.030 | ≦0.020 | ≦1.00 | 22.0-23.0 | 4.5-6.5 | 3.0-3.5 | 0.14-0.20 | … |
The choice of grade S31254 stainless steel mirrors the firm’s dedication to environmental sustainability. Stainless steel materials are eco-friendly by nature, so is grade S31254. This high-alloyed stainless steel can last centuries in the salty water, way more corrosion resistant than 316L or 2205. Meanwhile, it will not release any harmful element to the fjord. When it comes to the end of its service life, it is recyclable. The carbon footprint of the project is thus minimized to the utmost through the initial investment in right material.
Stainless Steel Plates from CIVMATS China
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