Arctic Cathedral

Tromsdalen church, universally called the Arctic Cathedral although it is not a cathedral, was designed by Jan Inge Hovig and completed in 1965: eleven aluminium-clad concrete triangles on each side rising to a peak, meant to suggest ice, a tent or a fish rack depending on which account you read. The eastern end is filled by a stained glass window by Victor Sparre, added in 1972, one of the largest in Europe, showing the return of Christ. The interior is white, spare and acoustically strong, and midnight sun concerts run in summer with a shorter programme through the year. It stands at the foot of the Fjellheisen cable car on the mainland side of the Tromso bridge.

History

Ground was broken on 1 April 1964, and the church, designed by Jan Inge Hovig, was consecrated on 19 November 1965 by Bishop Monrad Norderval; its shape is thought to echo the twin-peaked island of Håja. Victor Sparre's glass mosaic The Return of Christ was added to the east end in 1972, and a new organ of 2,940 pipes came in 2005 (Wikipedia, Arctic Cathedral).

The main sights

• The triangular form - eleven aluminium-clad concrete sections rising to a peak.
• The Sparre window - a vast stained glass end wall from 1972.
• The white interior - a spare acoustic space used for concerts.
• The bridge setting - the church at the foot of the Fjellheisen cable car.

When to go

Year-round; midnight sun concerts run in summer and shorter concerts through the year, and the building is floodlit in the dark months. Opening hours are limited and it closes for services.

What to expect

There is an entry charge to a working parish church, which some visitors find odd. The interior is small and spare, and the visit takes twenty minutes. Concert tickets are separate and sell out in summer.

Nearby

The Fjellheisen cable car is beside it; central Tromso is across the bridge.

Key facts