The entrance section to the side wing has its own exterior character and a use of materials dating from the 1980s. Inside, the stairwell has its own very individual character, with terrazzo flooring and yellow and green polished walls and teak doors, respectively.

Norges Bank was founded in 1816 as a private joint-stock bank with its own laws regulating the bank’s working area and functions. Its primary function was to secure the monetary system and supply the country with banknotes. During the course of the nineteenth century, a total of 20 branches of Norges Bank were set up. The Vardø branch was established in 1901 and its business area covered the whole of Finnmark. Over the years, loans to fishing industries have made up the most significant business of the Vardø branch. This branch of the bank was closed down in 2001 and the building was sold to a private business in 2002.

In November 2008, the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage issued a recommendation concerning the preservation of five properties linked to Norges Bank, among them the building in Vardø. The main aim of this preservation is to ensure and preserve a selection of state buildings and sites that are of national importance. The selected buildings stand out in a national context because of the considerable architectonic and cultural historical interest they attract.