Tromsø Cook and Steward School was part of a central North Norwegian institution for professional training of sailors together with the Tromsø School of Navigators and Machine Engineers situated on Rambergan. This was popularly called "Sjømannsskolen" (the sailors' school). Today Tromsø Cook and Steward School has been incorporated into general vocational training and "Sjømannsskolen" is a specialist maritime college.
In 1957 the architects K. Ugland and H.P. Thorne, both MNAL, from Arendal were commissioned to design both schools. They had previously designed the hospital at Åsgård on the west side of Tromsøya.