架构师提供的文本描述。挪威王妃梅特-马利特刚刚为北极圈以北约500公里处挪威阿尔塔的北极光大教堂揭幕。甚至在就职典礼之前，施密特·哈默·拉森与林克·阿基特图尔合作设计的47米高的大教堂就被视为整个地区的象征和建筑地标。

Text description provided by the architects. The Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit, has just inaugurated the Cathedral of the Northern Lights situated in the Norwegian town of Alta approximately 500 km north of the Arctic Circle. Even before the inauguration, the 47-metre-high cathedral, designed by schmidt hammer lassen architects in cooperation with Link Arkitektur, was perceived as a symbol and an architectural landmark for the entire area.

 © Adam Mørk

亚当·莫尔克

2001年，在安排北光大教堂的建筑竞赛时，阿尔塔市议会不只是想要一座新教堂：他们想要一个建筑地标，强调阿尔塔作为公共场所的作用，从那里可以观察到北极光的自然现象。

In 2001, when the architecture competition for the Cathedral of the Northern Lights was arranged, the city council in Alta did not just want a new church: they wanted an architectural landmark that would underline Alta’s role as a public venue from which the natural phenomenon of the northern lights could be observed.

 © Adam Mørk

亚当·莫尔克

“北极光大教堂的设计是周围自然和当地文化的结果。这座建筑是一个地标，它的建筑象征着北极光这一非同寻常的自然现象，“施密特·哈默·拉森建筑师事务所的创始人约翰·F·拉森解释说。他接着说：“大教堂从字面上和隐喻上反映了北极光：空灵、短暂、诗意和美丽。它作为一个单独的雕塑，与壮观的自然互动。“

“The Cathedral of the Northern Lights is in its design a result of the surrounding nature and local culture. The building is a landmark, which through its architecture symbolizes the extraordinary natural phenomenon of the Arctic northern lights,” explains John F. Lassen, Founding Partner at schmidt hammer lassen architects. He continues: “The cathedral reflects, both literally and metaphorically, the northern lights: ethereal, transient, poetic and beautiful. It appears as a solitary sculpture in interaction with the spectacular nature.”

 © Adam Mørk

亚当·莫尔克

北极光的意义反映在大教堂的建筑中。教堂的轮廓以螺旋状的形状上升到离地面47米的钟楼顶端。外表用钛覆盖，反映了北极冬季漫长黑暗时期的北极光，并强调了这种现象的经验。

The significance of the northern lights is reflected in the architecture of the cathedral. The contours of the church rise as a spiralling shape to the tip of the belfry 47 metres above the ground. The façade, clad in titanium, reflects the northern lights during the long periods of Arctic winter darkness and emphasizes the experience of the phenomenon.

 © Adam Mørk

亚当·莫尔克

在大教堂的主要区域内，教堂的房间创造了一个和平的对比与动态的外部建筑。所使用的材料，墙壁的原材料和地板、面板和天花板上的木材，突出了北欧的背景。日光透过高高的、纤细的、不规则的窗户进入教堂的房间。天窗照亮了祭坛后面的整个墙，营造了房间里独特的气氛。

Inside the main area of the cathedral, the church room creates a peaceful contrast to the dynamic exterior of the building. The materials used, raw concrete for the walls and wood for the floors, panels and ceilings, underline the Nordic context. Daylight enters the church room through tall, slim, irregularly placed windows. A skylight lights up the whole wall behind the altar creating a distinctive atmosphere in the room.

大教堂可以容纳350人在教堂的房间，也有行政办公室，教室，展区和教区。

The cathedral, which can accommodate 350 people in the church room, also has administration offices, classrooms, exhibition areas and a parochial area.

阿尔塔北极光大教堂是施密特·哈默·拉森建筑师设计的一系列文化项目中的最新一座。2012年9月，苏格兰阿伯丁大学新图书馆正式开放；2013年1月，这一做法在瑞典卡尔沙曼的新文化中心和图书馆设计竞赛中获胜。此外，施密特·哈默·拉森建筑师目前正在加拿大的两个图书馆工作-一个在哈利法克斯，一个在埃德蒙顿-以及丹麦奥胡斯的多媒体图书馆Dokk 1。在2014年完工后，Dokk 1将成为斯堪的纳维亚最大的公共图书馆。

The Cathedral of the Northern Lights in Alta is the latest in a row of cultural projects designed by schmidt hammer lassen architects. In September 2012, University of Aberdeen New Library in Scotland was officially opened; and in January 2013, the practice won the competition to design the New Cultural Centre and Library in Karlshamn, Sweden. Moreover, schmidt hammer lassen architects is currently working on two libraries in Canada – one in Halifax and one in Edmonton – as well as the multimedia library Dokk1 in Aarhus, Denmark. When completed in 2014, Dokk1 will be the largest public library in Scandinavia.