The first building to serve the tourists was a restaurant. It was designed by the architects Paul Cappelen and Torbjørn Rodahl following an architectural competition in 1957. It had a simple rectangular footprint, a flat roof and 14m long wall of windows towards north creating a panoramic view. The three remaining walls were clad with local stone and all flooring was made from slate, both strong materials that could cope with wear and tear caused by the tough climate and the large numbers of visitors.

This is how the architects 1959 described their intentions for the building: "We realized the building had to submit to the unique and powerful landscape at the North Cape and in no way try to challenge it. - - As for the design, we wanted the building to grow out of the plateau and have a character related to the sharp ragged contours of the local landscape."