Fabrikkaia (Factory Quay)
Description
Ytrebyen / Prestelv, 9800 Vadsø
Fabrikkaia (Factory Quay) is situated to the west of the centre of Vadsø in an area characterized by villas dating from the twentieth century. The area has traditionally been called Indre Kvenby (Inner Kven Town). During the nineteenth century, the area was built up by immigrants from Finland in a pattern of properties between two lengthwise streets - in other words, terraced housing. All the outbuildings belonging to a property were located in a set formation, rising in rows up the gentle slope. The boathouses belonging to all the properties were located down by the shore - on Varangerfjorden.
Practically all the quays in Finnmark were destroyed during the Second World War
Practically all the quays in Finnmark were destroyed during the Second World War
only in Eastern Finnmark were a minority of the wooden quays spared. Fabrikkaia in Vadsø is one of them. Over the past few decades, the majority of these old wooden quays have disappeared in turn. Fabrikkaia consists of a quay and warehouse, and these were preserved in 2009 under the Lov om kulturminner (Act Concerning the Cultural Heritage).
When the preservation process began, it was evident that the quay was in an extremely bad condition and that a restoration along antiquarian lines was not feasible. The old quay was therefore pulled down and replaced with a reconstruction. Parts of the original quay had probably been erected prior to the twentieth century. The construction had undergone a series of repairs and had also been built on or rebuilt from time to time. It was not possible to document when and where rebuilding had occurred, nor which section was the oldest. The original quay was a traditional wooden quay with regard to both the choice of materials and the details of its construction. During the process of documentation it was established that a number of different methods had been used with regard to the foundations, joinery, dimensions and quality. The construction nearest to the land consisted of different-sized poles, various kinds of struts, and quay surfacing. Struts had been used at two different levels on the outermost part of the quay. The surfacing was laid in an east-west direction. The size and way in which the building elements had been put together varied.
When the preservation process began, it was evident that the quay was in an extremely bad condition and that a restoration along antiquarian lines was not feasible. The old quay was therefore pulled down and replaced with a reconstruction. Parts of the original quay had probably been erected prior to the twentieth century. The construction had undergone a series of repairs and had also been built on or rebuilt from time to time. It was not possible to document when and where rebuilding had occurred, nor which section was the oldest. The original quay was a traditional wooden quay with regard to both the choice of materials and the details of its construction. During the process of documentation it was established that a number of different methods had been used with regard to the foundations, joinery, dimensions and quality. The construction nearest to the land consisted of different-sized poles, various kinds of struts, and quay surfacing. Struts had been used at two different levels on the outermost part of the quay. The surfacing was laid in an east-west direction. The size and way in which the building elements had been put together varied.
Year of construction
1871
2007
Building Type
Quay site
Construction System / Materials
Timberwork
pillar construction
Literature
Beronka, Johan: Vadsø bys historie : med spredte bidrag til Varangers historie, Vadsø 1933
Niemi, Einar: Vadsø historie : fra øyvær til kjøpstad (inntil 1833), Vadsø 1983
Niemi, Einar: Vadsø historie : fra øyvær til kjøpstad (inntil 1833), Vadsø 1983
Map
