The work of erecting the site was begun in 1907, the first loads of iron slime were shipped out in 1910 and the final buildings in the first phase were completed in 1911. The steam centre is one of the buildings dating from the time of the initial site.

These large production sites required a lot of energy and several new power stations were built to supply the business with electricity. The steam centre was a coal-fired steam power station, positioned down by the sea for easy access to water. Building work was commenced in 1909 and was completed in 1910. The building was razed during the Second World War: some walls and a bricked-up leaden box in one corner were all that was left. The architect Guttorm Bruskeland was behind the restoration in the rebuilding of the steam centre in 1948-49.

The steam centre takes the form of a basilica: in other words, it is built along the same principles as many medieval cathedrals in Europe, with an elevated central nave and lower side naves. This was the favoured solution for large industrial halls, since it provided daylight access to the central section of the building. It is built of bricks and has many exterior features from classicistic architecture, such as the temple gable with its tooth-cut border and the large Roman arch in the entrance section in the middle.