We are not able to find any written documents in the city records - regarding the site picked out for the new City Hall. 'Skien Historielag's map of Skien before the big fire - shows another building at that site, named 'Wambergaarden', owned by S.Thorbjørnsen. The western part of the City Hall, close to the street named Tvergaden (now called Torggaten) - was not built on at the time.
From the historical sources we can read that there were no problems - as there was encountered to build Skien Church. From the book 'The history of Skien city', volume 3, the following information is available:
A committee consisting of Koht (the city’s mayor), J.S Engebrethsen and Hans Larsen reached the optimistic conclusion - that the city hall could be built for a little more than 100 000 Norwegian kroner. The building would then include a police station, post office, 'byfogd' (stipendiary magistrate), 'fattigforstander' (poor relief), tax office, 'forliksråd'( a minor sivil court) and a caretaker.
'Formannsskapet' (the executive committee of the local council) were commissioned to get drawings and estimates, and at the deadline - by autumn 1888 - four proposals were presented by the architects: P. Lowzow & Berg, Bugge & Sjøstedt, architect Hansteen and builder H. Hansen. 'Formannskapet' decided, according to the expert-recommendations , to endorse the proposal from P. Lowzow & Berg. This proposal would cost, including a jury room, 133 000 kroner. The government had promised to give 20 000 kroner to a new jury room.
This case met no problems passing trough the city council, August 23rd 1889. The only requirement was that the roof had to be gabled. The executive committee of the local council were given free hands to proceed with the building-process. In 1890 the following persons were elected to the building-committee:
Didrik Cappelen (chairman), H.C. Hansen, Hans Larsen, bricklayer Ole Røsland and architect Wagle. Later on Ths. Offenberg and O. Rød replaced Røsland and Wagle in the committee. Røsland got the job constructing the building and Wagle got the job supervising the project.
Ole Røsland was both skilled and energetic, but even him encountered problems fightingthe unstable ground under the new city hall. A large part of the building site consisted of soft clay. For that reason it was decided that the city hall should be built on an underwatered two-layers timber-fleet.
They also encountered rock, which had to be blast away - enough to be able to put a thick layer of clay under the timber-fleet. In spite of all precautions, one part of the foundation-wall facing Høyers Hotel sunk an incredible 17 inches, and had to be restored. The whole groundwork cost about 25 000 kroner, and when the new city hall at last was finished, the total costs was 196 000 kroner.
The location of the City Hall adjacent to the spacious 'Jernbanetorget' and close to the city’s prison- proved to be a good choice. The building itself was monumental and very spacious for its time. Skien Museum, established in 1893 - after an initiative from engineer J. Christies- got room for their exhibits in the attic of the city hall. The jury room was also used for meetings in Skien 'Arbeiderakademi' (literally Workers Academy) - which was established the same year as Skien Museum.
Skien city hall was built in neo-classical style. The columns at the front entrance are good examples of this style. In addition the curved windows, and roof cornices that we know from the antiquity, are examples of this era. Because of the legacy from ancient Greece and Rome the style of the city hall is called neo-classical.
Today the city hall stands as it was constructed. Skien municipality has also taken over the premises of the police department north of the city hall. A series of new offices have been taken over for the use of 'Forliksrådet' and the Pension fund on the ground floor, the IT-department on the first floor and the Personal- and Service department on the second floor.