Hamar Station - History

History

The current station building is the third to house the station, after two wooden station buildings had been razed. The first building opened in 1862, a wooden structure by the architect Georg Andreas Bull, followed in 1880 by a larger building by Balthazar Conrad Lange. Both were removed when the railway from Hamar to Sel opened in 1896, replaced by the current structure in limestone by Paul Due, who also designed the restaurant building south of the station in 1897.

Hamar Station is considered one of the most important works of Paul Due; monumental with a dignified center part with a large arch motive creating the compositor main element, both the facade towards the city and the tracks. The symmetrical composition is broken by an arch building element (a staircase) in the north. It is completed in a rich Hanoverian style with elements from New Renaissance and the Middle Aes; dominating elements are New Gothic, but also New Romanticism is used. In the first story there are passenger- and employee functions, while the second floor was designed with two large apartments.

The stations have had a large strategic role as transportation hub in the district, serving three railways and proximity to the harbour, where cargo and passengers could continue on the lake Mjøsa by steamship. The railway constructors and iron foundry Hamar Jernstøberi is located on the railway yard, just south of the station. There are more than 25 tracks, traditionally supporting freight handling; falling cargo amounts have led to a discussion as to the use of this, with suggestions to convert part of it to build-up land.

The restaurant was taken over by Norsk Spisevognselskap from Harald Larsen from 1 January 1921. The inventory was bought form NOK 87,786. It was redecorated in 1922 after designs by Gudmund Hoel. The dining room was decorated by theater painter Jens Wang. He made several large fresco painting, including the ruins of Hamar Cathedral, motives from Mjøsa, Akersvika and an old settlement in Hedmark style. On the northern wall there were two large paintings, on of Hosbjør Tourist Hotel and one of a view of Mjøsa. The renovation of the restaurant cost NOK 43,000 and was taken into use on 15 December 1922.

New Hamar Station opened in 1993 for the 1994 Winter Olympics, after extensive rehabilitation after Paul Due's original blueprints; in addition a roof over the platform, walkway under the first track for the disabled were built, and the old cargo building south of the station was razed, being replaced with parking space and a bus terminal.