Svanvik Chapel is situated on a little hill at Svanvikvannet, surrounded by pine trees. The building takes a robust form, constructed of unpanelled round logs. It consists of a strong, square-shaped central section, with an unusually hefty ridge turret in the middle. This is in contrast with a higher termination in the form of a high, thin spire. On the entrance side there is a tall annexe serving as a vestibule, contrasting with a lower annexe serving as an altar niche at the opposite end. This gives the building a certain appearance of length, at the same time as also establishing associations with fifteenth and sixteenth-century Norwegian cruciform churches, with their central towers and high, thin spires. At the same time, the central section may appear somewhat Byzantine, an influence that is to be found now and again in the church architecture of that time. The building’s appearance may be characterized as Norwegian national romantic, but there are also traces of other, more Oriental influences.

1932-1934

Arkitekt Harald Sund

Det nordlandske kirke- og skolefond (Nordland Church & School Foundation)

Assembly house, church

Wood

cog-jointed timbers

church

chapel

wood

unpanelled round logs

square plan

ridge turret

steeple

Literature: Hage, Ingebjørg, Elin Haugdal, Bodil Ruud &

Sveinulf Hegstad (eds.): Arkitektur i Nord-Norge, Bergen 2007.