Arctic Cathedral

Tromsdalen Church
Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen) Tromsøysund kirke / Tromsdalen kirke
View of the church
Tromsdalen Church Location in Troms Show map of Troms Tromsdalen Church Location in Troms Show map of Norway
Coordinates: 69°38′54″N 18°59′14″E / 69.6482°N 18.9871°E / 69.6482; 18.9871
Location	Tromsø, Troms
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
Website	http://www.ishavskatedralen.no
History
Consecrated	19 November 1965
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Jan Inge Hovig
Groundbreaking	1 April 1964
Completed	1965
Construction cost	4,169,815 kr
Specifications
Capacity	720
Materials	Cast-in-place aluminium-coated concrete panels
Administration
Parish	Tromsøysund
Deanery	Tromsø domprosti
Diocese	Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland

The Arctic Cathedral, formally known as Tromsdalen Church or Tromsøysund Church (Norwegian: Tromsdalen kirke or Tromsøysund kirke), is a church in the city of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway. The church is commonly nicknamed the Ishavskatedralen, literally "The Cathedral of the Arctic Sea" or "Arctic Cathedral". The church was built in 1965 in the Tromsdalen valley and it is a parish church and not, in fact, a cathedral as it is commonly called. The church is part of the Tromsøysund parish in the Tromsø arch-deanery in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

The church was designed by the architect Jan Inge Hovig and is built mainly of concrete. The main contractor for the construction was Ing. F. Selmer A/S Tromsø. Because of the church's distinct look and situation, it has often been called "the opera house of Norway", likening it to the famous Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The church is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø, although Tromsø does have another church of interest, Tromsø Cathedral, which is noted for being the only wooden cathedral in Norway.

The groundbreaking of the church was 1 April 1964 and it was completed in 1965. The new church was consecrated on 19 November 1965 by the Bishop Monrad Norderval. The church is built out of cast-in-place aluminium-coated concrete panels.