The Hamar cathedral ruins are a part of the Hedmark museum (Hedmarksmuseet), which lies in Hamar, Hedmark, Norway. The ruins of Hamar Cathedral bear witness of the town’s importance during the Medieval Age. Now the ruins are what remain of the old Hamar cathedral, upon which construction began in 1152, and which was completed in 1200. The cathedral medieval section’s ruins was originally built in Romanesque architecture and later converted to Gothic architecture, which is situated on the highest point on the headland, making it a powerful landmark.

The distinctive arches in the cathedral ruins are covered in one of the most ambitious construction projects of its kind undertaken by the Norwegian government.The ruins of the original cathedral in the 12^th century have been slowly eroding since it fell into disuse after the Reformation in the 16^th century, exactly in 1537 and burnt during the 7-year war. Since 1900s the ruins have been maintained regularly. The enclosing structure was raised to protect the ruins from rain and wind.

Lund & Slaatto Arkitekter acknowledges that the ruin’s silhouette on the skyline has been lost in the design, which covers it with a glass and steel skin. He points out, however, that ‘other very exciting qualities’ have been gained. In designing the glass covering, Lund says that his practice sought a system of coordinates to which the remaining stones could relate. The glass roof plays a role of facade which projects internal ruins. It has succeeded to hide the weightiness of the huge roof by projecting weather on the glass side itself.

The main nave of the structure was positioned in accordance with the original nave. From here the glass slopes asymmetrically to form a parallelogram, enveloping the ruin. At both ends of the nave, glass gables flank the design. The structure is made up of tempered plate glass surrounded by a concrete base. Inside, a heat management and ventilation system has been developed to combat condensation and ensure that the temperature never drops below freezing point. It is an active archaeological site, and visitors can see the state of the dig at any given time. Most of the medieval townsite is not yet excavated, and visitors can see remnants on a field outside the museum confines.

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