Salen and Storvannet

Bybo

Here at the end of Storevannet, you can see 124 apartments in a complex called The Horseshoe Block, or Bybo as it is known locally. It was completed in 1965 and was at that time Northern Europe's largest housing project. In Hammerfest, the fishing industry was the most important employer after the war, especially when the frozen food company, Findus, established itself in the city. In the late fifties, the population was rising by more than 500 people each year and by 1960 the city had around 7,500 inhabitants. Soon, the need for apartments for Findus employees and their families was getting desperate. Therefore, after a collaboration between the state, the municipality and Findus, a residential building team was established that was named Bybo. The Bybo horseshoe block has been highlighted in architecture magazines all over the world due to its special design. The shape has been created for the block to fit into the environment, both according to topography and climate. Today it is a popular residential area. The vast majority of Hammerfestinger have a relationship with Bybo that is often shaped by the era in which they grew up. People have a lot of different opinions about the block, but the vast majority have probably come to recognize it as both something positive and beautiful in the town. What do you think?