The Arctic Cathedral
Tromsdalen Church of 1965, a triangular concrete landmark across the bridge from Tromso.
Tromsdalen Church, universally known as the Arctic Cathedral, was designed by the Norwegian architect Jan Inge Hovig and consecrated on 19 November 1965. It is a parish church rather than a bishop's seat, and stands on the mainland shore below Mount Storsteinen, directly across the strait from Tromso. Eleven aluminium-clad concrete panels of decreasing size step up on each side to form a triangular shell, a shape often read as a reference to ice floes, glaciers and the frame of a Sami lavvu.
The west end is filled by a tall glazed cross, while the east wall carries a stained glass mosaic by Victor Sparre installed in 1972, depicting the Second Coming. A mechanical organ built by the Swedish firm Gronlunds was installed in 2005, its case shaped to echo the building. The church serves its congregation and is also one of the most visited sights in northern Norway, running a regular programme of short organ recitals, midnight concerts and seasonal concerts for visitors.
Highlights
- Triangular shell of eleven stepped concrete panels, completed 1965
- Victor Sparre's stained glass mosaic filling the east wall
- Gronlunds organ of 2005 with a case shaped like the building
- Short organ recitals and midnight concerts through the year
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