About Hvalstrand Bad

Welcome to Hvalstrand Bad – a charming seaside landmark with historic flair !

In his construction of Hvalstrand Bad in 1934, architect Andre Peters reveals his great admiration of the swiss/french architect Le Corbusier and his new and fashionable style. Since 1996 Hvalstrand Bad has been under protection and an extensive restauration- and renovation program of this fine architecture has been carried out. Today we are pleased to welcome our guests to enjoy our facilities – and we welcome you the way they did in 1934 : "Sun – sea – sand = Hvalstrand" A continuing tradition in fresh fish and seafood dishes, inspired by international cuisine. Lunch service starts at 12 noon (friday, saturday and sunday), à la Carte service at 17:00 hrs. The easiest way to reach us is by car or by bus, however, do you prefer to arrive in your private boat, you can tie up at our guest pier. By car you take the E18 to Holmenkrysset and follow the signs to Slemmestad, road number 165 (approximately 2 km) till you see the sign Hvalstrand Bad. By bus from the Oslo Bus Station you either take bus no 251 or 261 to Hvalstrand.

Hvalstrand Bad Hvalstrandveien 1 Tel.: 66 84 99 29, Fax 66 84 68 18, post@hvalstrand.no

The history of Hvalstrand bad

At the end of the 1920’s Norway was heading for modernisation, with totally new thoughts about not only architecture, but life style. People began to have more leisure time which was to be used for something meaningful. The town needed new buildings such as a cinema, Communal House and theatre. In the summer it became modern to swim and tan/lie in the sun, it was now acceptable to be brown. All that was fresh and healthy was now popular.

Within architecture everything that was overloaded and decorative was to be done away with. Classicism’s demand for symmetry was no longer suited to modern ideas and way of life. The Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier wrote functionalism’s ”bible”, ”Vers une archetecture”. He formulated five principles about modern architecture, where one central principal was to allow columns/beams bare the weight and not the walls. In that way, one had unlimited possibilities in relation to space and open walls to let the (sun)light in. The motto was ”light, air and green”. Now it was the function that decided the form and not the other way around.

Functionalism and the new culture of leisure-time washed over Oslo Fjord like a wave at the beginning of the 30’s. Sundøya fjord restaurant and bathing facilities by Tyrifjord were the first to be built, followed closely by Ingierstrand Bad. Both were built on the bases of functionalistic principals.

At that time Landlord Wilhelm Roede sat on Hval farm in Asker, with his huge piece of land that stretched right down to the sea. Roedes’ house was frequented by many artists through his relationship with the Krohg family, but also by many rich businessmen, who Roede knew through the exclusive club ”Norske Selskap” or ”Norwegian Company”. Among them , shipping owner and consul Rudolf Olsen. In this environment of creative artists, with close relations to what went on in Europe, and people with money, the idea of bathing facilities by the sea at Hval was hatched.

Roede and Olsen formed a share/joint stock company who rented the land that would become Hvalstrand Bad. The young french-norwegian architect Andre Peters, son of painter Willhelm Peters, was commissioned to draw up a modern building with restaurant. This he did. Now things began to speed up, and on the 7th June 1934 Hvalstrand Bad was inaugurated with restaurant, diving tower, wardrobe facilities, toilets, storm shed, kiosk, ticket office and a little refuge, which was named ”direksjonen” or ”the directors retreat”.

What had earlier been a forest filled with the rare larch tree among others, had now become a beautiful park area where some of the trees were retained. Sand was fetched from Svelvik among places for a sand beach, and beside the diving tower a slide was erected. People streamed to Hvalstrand from both Asker and neighbouring communities, and not least from the capital. The traffic consisted of both bus and boat.

The restaurant building at Hvalstrand is a totally unique functional building, with an almost organic form, untouched by symmetry. Cultural historian Wenche Findal, who wrote a book about Norwegian functionalism, writes: ”No-one has ever dared a similar construction in Norwegian architecture”. When seen from above the buildings form can remind one of a snails house, and the inspiration from the sea and strand is repeated in the decoration inside.

That Peters opened the whole round facade out towards the trees, strand and sea with enormous steel mounted windows was sensational in itself. It makes the restaurant completely see-through, you are outside when inside and visa versa. The restaurant, which was run by restaurant managers from Oslo, was a stylish place with white tablecloths and waiters in black and white. The restaurants guests came gladly for the sol purpose of eating, people did not enter with sand between their toes. So in spite of the big glass windows in the restaurant to erase the divide between out and in visually, it was like two separated worlds.

In a land like Norway, with short, unstable summers it was not easy to run a place like Hvalstrand Bad restaurant. Sandwiches and beer on the terrace took over more and more of the serving, and in 1970 there was little style left. Asker Municipality had stepped in early on to help hold the company in business. In 1960 the municipality had majority shares and in 1978 they took over the entire facility. By then the decay was severe.

At that time most people were not really interested in saving functional buildings, many looked upon the naked style as cold and unfriendly. But others pointed out how important Hvalstrand Bad restaurant was and despaired over the decay. The municipality did not know what they should use the building for either. For a long while it was used only as a kiosk for those bathing.

The diving tower was also in very bad condition, and in fear for accidents, the municipality decided to remove it. But should it be replaced with a new one? The indecision was at first large, and as a temporary solution the executive committee of local council suggested cutting the tower off over the three meter diving board. This to reduce the danger while at the same time still providing something to dive off. In the end it was decided to replace the whole tower with a replica of the old.

In 1994, after long discussions, the building and its surroundings became protected. An extensive plan for rehabilitation began, but it was only when a new company, Hvalstrand Bad A/S, came into the picture with creative plans, did the municipality step up a gear.

The inside paint work was done reverently by Gunnar Large together with decoration painter Tore Øigarden. Large came into conflict with the county chief of culture’s specialists during the restoration about the colour of the outer window frames which Large insisted should be green. The colours at Hvalstrand were really, in Larges opinion, green, redish-orange and yellow. Many others seemed to remember the same. But the colour has become a light greish-blue. Krisin Jansen, who was county chief of culture’s specialist, stands her ground, referring to scrapings. She insists that the green colour could have been added later then 1934.

The 7th June 1997, 63 years to the day after inauguration, Hvalstrand Bad was opened again, and has since been run as it originally was, with kiosk and outside serving, together with the more luxurious dinner/gourmet serving inside the restaurant

Hvalstrand Bad is today one of Asker’s, and possibly Oslo’s, most popular place for social gatherings such as weddings. The working company Hvalstrand Bad A/S, wishes temporarily to also promote Hvalstrand Bad as an all year round place which can be hired out to private functions as well as arrange seminars and conferences. The summer season begins after Easter where the restaurant is open every day for a la carte.