Kvorning Design and partners, Icelandic Gagarin, and Creative Technology, Norway, have won two commissions from the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum, NIA, to develop and realise the conceptual narrative for Tungtvannskjelleren, the heavy water room and research site where the world-changing Norwegian sabotage mission “Operation Gunnerside” took place.

Tungtvannskjelleren, located at the Vemork hydroelectric plant near Rjukan, Norway, is a historic national heritage site of Norwegian and international significance. When the “heavy water room” reopens, visitors will experience the story of the famous sabotage action that took place there in February 1943.

As the scene of perhaps the most important event in Norway’s war history, Tungtvannskjelleren is a key destination for history education and a monument to the Second World War. It is a place for learning and reflection, where innovative design must engage and captivate the audience to deliver a compelling history.

Opening: 18 June 2022 and 28 February 2023