Lillesund School
Lillesund School was officially opened in 1920, when it was widely considered to be Scandinavia's largest and most modern school. Lillesund school is built in the Romantic style and was designed by the architect Kasper Hassel. It is now a primary school for about 500 pupils, a third of whom are multilingual.
The town hall
The first thing people often notice about the town hall is its distinctive colour – Haugesund town hall is pink! The iconic building is an excellent example of Norwegian neoclassicism. It was designed by the architects Gudolf Blakstad and Hermann Munthe-Kaas.
Student housing in Sørhauggata
This building houses dormitories for the town's students and a coffee shop at street level. The building was completed in 2015 and is constructed using cross-laminated timber. It is to the passive house standard, meaning that it uses less energy for heating compared to ordinary buildings. The student housing was designed by Helen & Hard, the same architect company that designed Woodnest in Odda.
Bølgen
Bølgen is a car park in Haugesund town centre that really is quite out of the ordinary. The car park was designed by Holon Arkitekter and was completed in 2019. Aluminium was chosen as the primary material for Bølgen, a material that has deep connections with the region owing to Hydro's aluminium smelting plant on Karmøy. You might notice the lighting on Bølgen changing to reflect events such as Pride, Pink Ribbon, FKH home games (the town's football team), the Sami National Day and Norway's National Day.
Haugesund Public Library and coffee at Hos Carlos
Haugesund Public Library was designed by the local architect David Sandved and is considered his signature work. The building was completed in 1967 and is regarded as one of the finest examples of Scandinavian modernism in Norway. The library is a natural gathering point in the town and, as well as functioning as a traditional library, it also hosts a range of events throughout the year. You'll find Hos Carlos coffee shop at the library, where you can get a great cup of coffee and a bite to eat. When the weather’s nice, the library park is a popular hang out, and there’s a slide and obstacle course for kids.
Our Saviour's Church (Vår Frelsers Kirke)
The Church of Our Saviour was built in 1901 and is considered the signature work of the architect Einar Halleland. The church is built in the neo-Gothic style and also has elements of Art Nouveau.
Wrangellhuset
The Wrangellhuset is a Swiss-style building designed by the Stavanger architect Hartvig Sverdrup Eckhoff. It was completed in the summer of 1893 and is one of a number of shipowner villas in Haugesund. It was originally built by the shipowner H.M. Wrangell and his wife. Wrangellhuset now belongs to the Haugeland museum.
Christiansenhuset
Christiansenhuset is situated at Strandgata 219 and the building is listed by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. The building dates from 1843 and was Haugesund's first patrician house, so it is a representative residence of the bourgeoisie. The main house was commissioned by shipowner and businessman Ole Michael Christiansen and was designed by the architect Hartvig Sverdrup Eckhoff.
Haugesund Billedgalleri art gallery
The museum was built in three different stages: 1919, 1978 and 2004. The oldest building was constructed as a residence for the director Gunnar Bugge, but later became the residence of shipowner and Secretary of State Lars Meling and his wife Inga Meling. The main building dates from 1978 and was designed by the Haugesund architect David Sandved. The most recent part was completed in 2004 and was designed by Sandved and Wahtne arkitekter AS.
Staalehuset
When it was completed in 1919, Staalehuset was Northern Europe's largest Art Nouveau concrete building. Einar Halleland was the architect who designed the iconic house on Hasseløy island, or Bakarøynå as it is popularly known. The building is named after Norway's once largest exporter of herring, Steffen Staalesen, and now hosts theatre productions, parties, conferences, fairs and concerts etc.
Indre Kai quay
At Haugesund’s Indre Kai quay, next to Smedasundet strait, there are a number of Swiss-style wooden houses dating from around 1880–1920. You will also find a number of other buildings in the area that represent the most pertinent style periods.
Dinner at Lothes
After a stimulating walk among Haugesund’s architectural gems, dinner at Lothes is a wonderful way to round off your day. The restaurant building dates from 1850. If you’re in Haugesund in the daytime, Dattera til Lothe (daughter of Lothe) is also a great option. It is next door to Lothes and is run by Lothe's daughter.