During the early hours of 23 January 1904 a terrible fire raged through Ålesund. In the space of 16 hours, 850 houses burned to the ground, and ten thousand people were left homeless.
Thanks to prodigious efforts by the local population and others who came from far and near to help, most of the town centre had been rebuilt by 1907. The architects who took part in the reconstruction were young Norwegians inspired by both National Romanticism and the contemporary modern architecture that was prevalent in Europe, the Art Nouveau style with its myriad of turrets, spires, gables and fantastic ornamentation. Today, Ålesund has a unique place in the history of Norwegian and international architecture.