The church takes its place in a remarkable piece of town planning: Landskrona's 1747 fortification plan required new land to be reclaimed from the sea, and the site on which the church stands was itself surrounded by water well into the 19th century, described at the time as standing on an islet. It replaced an earlier medieval church dedicated to John the Baptist, which had burned down in 1723, after which the town relied on a temporary wooden chapel for several decades.
Designed by the noted architect Carl Hårleman and built by the fortification corps, the church was begun in 1754 but not consecrated until the second Sunday of Advent in 1788, when it was named after Sofia Albertina, sister of King Gustav III. Its twin towers were not completed until 1816, giving the building an appearance unusual for a parish church of its size, since paired west towers are more commonly associated with cathedrals. The plan follows a Latin cross, with a porch, single-vaulted nave, transepts, chancel and apse; the three portals are regarded as among the building's most interesting architectural details.
The altarpiece, depicting Christ the Comforter, was painted by the Danish artist Carl Bloch and installed during a thorough renovation in 1883–84, replacing an earlier gilded cross altarpiece by the sculptor A.M. Fahlcrantz, who was also responsible for the pulpit and organ façade. The font, dating from the 12th century, is thought to have originally belonged to a rural church; it later passed into private hands and stood for a time as a garden ornament before being brought to Sofia Albertina.//The church's mechanical organ, built by the Dutch firm D.A. Flentrop and inaugurated around 1959–60, is a large instrument with four manuals, reusing the older 1832 organ façade also attributed to Fahlcrantz.
Among other furnishings are a pair of votive ship models, one donated in the late 19th century by a former militia major and later returned to the church after a period in the local museum, and several stained-glass windows from the 20th century, including a sequence by Martin Emond in the nave depicting stages of life, and further windows by Hugo Gehlin, Erik Olson and a design associated with Emil Johansson-Thor. The two chandeliers nearest the chancel, dating from the 17th century, were carried over from the earlier church, as were the church bells, subsequently recast over the years.
A carillon of 43 bells was installed in the north tower in 1967, a gift in memory of a local benefactor, and is reported to have historically played automatically at set times each day outside Holy Week, as well as being playable manually. The church underwent a further significant interior renovation around 1980, when the nave was refitted with limestone flooring, underfloor heating, and a white-and-gold colour scheme for the pews and gallery fronts.