Story
The story of Arctic Cathedral
Despite its famous name, the Arctic Cathedral is not actually a cathedral. Officially it is Tromsdalen Church, a parish church, but people call it Ishavskatedralen, the Cathedral of the Arctic Ocean.
Designed by the architect Jan Inge Hovig, it is built mainly of concrete, using cast-in-place aluminium-coated concrete panels, and its shape is believed to be a reference to the nearby twin-peaked island of Håja. Ground was broken on 1 April 1964, and Bishop Monrad Norderval consecrated the church on 19 November 1965. In 1972 a glass mosaic called The Return of Christ, made by Victor Sparre, was added on the eastern side.
Inside there are seats for about 600 people, and since 2005 the church has had an organ by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri with three manuals, 42 stops and 2940 pipes. It stands in the Tromsdalen valley on the east side of Tromsø, and thanks to its design it is one of the most notable churches in the city.
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