National Museum of Denmark: One of the best preserved Rococo palaces

The Prince’s Mansion was the original name of one of Denmark’s best preserved Rococo buildings, designed by the somewhat mysterious architect, Nicolai Eigtved.

By the mid-18th century, the Danish economy was booming and a growing middle class began building palaces and mansions all over Copenhagen. Many of the new buildings were modeled on the French style and late neoclassical architecture began to characterize the city. Only a handful of buildings were built in the light, elegant style of the Rococo, with detailed intricate ornamentation and patterns that were especially popular further south in Europe. The National Museum of Denmark is one of those rare specimens. With its diminutive green gate and low balustrade facing Christiansborg Palace and Frederiksholms Kanal, the building does not look like much at first. But passing through the gate leads you to a small courtyard surrounded by the four wings of the palace. The architect Nikolaj Eigtved was clearly inspired by the architecture of southern Europe when he designed the palace as a home for Crown Prince Frederik, later King Frederik V, and his wife Crown Princess Charlotte.

Traces of Eigtved

Although the Prince’s Mansion has been renovated and restored several times, many elements have been preserved from Eigtved’s time. The ground floors are still mainly made of Oeland limestone and the floors above have rooms with the original parquet flooring. In the great hall of the main wing, where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess held audience and entertained, you can still see the delicate Rococo stucco ceiling and woven wallpapers from the 1740s and, in one spot, you can see the Baroque wall panels from 1727. On the balustrade towards Frederiksholms Kanal and on the stair banisters you can still see Eigtved’s oval carvings; a style that was popular at the time. The ovals allowed for less symmetry and more organic forms than in Classicism that was to follow. The palace was lucky to survive the many fires that ravaged Copenhagen over the years. When Christiansborg Palace burned to the ground, the Supreme Court had to move into the great hall of the Prince’s Mansion. You can still see traces of the nails that were hammered into the floor when it was refitted to accommodate the court.

A Sense of Grandeur

Characteristic for Eigtved was the orientation of the axes of his buildings. The palace faces Christiansborg Palace and its gate, courtyard and wings extend the axis that stretches all the way from the square in front of Christiansborg Palace. Eigtved’s ability to interpret and shape architecture on a large scale by using harmonious and unified planning is one of his hallmarks. It was Eigtved who designed the district of Copenhagen known as Frederiksstaden, one of the finest examples of Rococo urban planning in Europe. With Frederik’s Church at one end of an axis and Amalienborg Palace at the other, and with townhouses and mansions neatly dotted around them, it is still one of the most visited and admired areas of Copenhagen.

The Mysterious Eigtved

There is a certain mystique surrounding the architect Nicolai Eigtved, who left such a significant mark on 18th century Danish architecture. As a young gardener, he set out on a 12-year journey across Europe, including France and Italy, and returned home with his obvious sense of spatiality, design and materiality. His sense was so strong that he eventually became Royal Building Master to the king and the person responsible for some of the finest Rococo architecture standing today. Besides the plan for Frederiksstaden, another highlight of Eigtved’s career is the marble bridge between the Prince’s Mansion and Christiansborg. He was also the architect behind Christian’s Church, Eigtveds Pakhus and many other buildings that have become deeply embedded in the soul of Copenhagen.

But even though his work has left him with an abiding reputation, no one knows what he looked like. And very few sources can tell us anything about his life beyond his architectural work.

Near the National Museum of Denmark

If you want to experience the contrast between completely different eras in architectural history, you can walk from the National Museum towards the harbor, where BLOX by Rem Koolhaas is located. This is also where Danish Architecture Center, which is part of the Copenhagen Cultural District, holds its many exhibitions. From there, you can experience the opposite end of the spectrum by walking towards Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an almost archetypal example of the ideals of Classicism.