It is the third cathedral built in the town of Kristiansand and one of the largest cathedrals in Norway. It is 70 m (230 ft) long and 39 m (128 ft) wide, and the only tower is 70 m (230 ft) in height. Originally the cathedral had 2,029 seats and room for 1,216 standees, but seating has now been reduced to 1,000.
The cathedral is in the same location as three previous buildings. The first, called Trinity Church, was built in 1645 and was a small wooden church. When Kristiansand was appointed the seat of the diocese in 1682, construction began on the town's first cathedral, called Our Savior's Church. That first cathedral, built in stone, was consecrated in 1696, but burned down in 1734. The second cathedral, consecrated in 1738, was destroyed by a fire that affected the whole city, on 18 December 1880. When the 1940 Nazi German attack on Kristiansand took place early in the morning of 9 April 1940, the 70-metre cathedral tower was hit by an artillery shell, which damaged the upper part.