Jacob Wilhelm Nordan (23 February 1824 – 11 April 1892) was a Danish-born, Norwegian architect. During his career, he was one of the most prolific church architects in Norway.

Biography

Nordan was born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Denmark and came to Norway as a child with his mother. He attended the Royal Drafting School (''Den Kongelige Tegneskole'') in Christiania (now Oslo), where

Johannes Flintoe Johannes Flintoe (1786/87, Copenhagen - 27 January 1870, Copenhagen) was a Danish-born painter of Norwegian ancestry. He is known for his landscapes, costume studies and historical scenes. His works play a significant role in the transition to ro ...

Christian Heinrich Grosch Christian Heinrich Grosch (21 January 1801 – 4 May 1865) was a Norwegian architect. He was a dominant figure in Norwegian architecture in the first half of the 1800s. Biography Christian Heinrich Grosch was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. ...

and

Johan Henrik Nebelong Johan Henrik Nebelong (20 July 1817 – 2 March 1871) was a Danish architect. He worked in Norway from 1840 to 1853 and was best known for interior design work on ''Oscarshall'' (1847–1852). Nebelong also taught at the Royal Academy of Arts in ...

were among his teachers. From 1849 to 1852, Nordan worked under architect Johan Henrik Nebelong as assistant and building manager during the construction of

Oscarshall Oscarshall Palace is a ''maison de plaisance'' located in the small fjord Frognerkilen on Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. History The palace was built from 1847 to 1852 by the Danish architect Johan Henrik Nebelong on commission from King Oscar I ...

. From 1852 to 1855, he studied at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

in Copenhagen and received travel grants to

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. In 1856, he established architectural office in Christiania, while he also taught at the Royal Drafting School. While working for the Ministry of the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

, he designed nearly one hundred churches. Among his designs are also Fritzøehus Manor located outside

Larvik Larvik () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Larvik (town) ...

, the former fire and police station in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Møllergata 19 Møllergata 19 is an address in Oslo, Norway, where the city's main police station and jail was located. The address gained notoriety during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945, when the Nazi security police kept its headquarters here. This ...

, and the bazaars on the public square at

Youngstorget Youngstorget () is a square and public space located in downtown Oslo. It lies at the junction of the streets Storgata and Møllergata and alongside Torggata. Constructed in 1846, it has become a symbol of political power in Norway. Etymology ...

in downtown Oslo. In 1860, Nordan married Danish artist Henriette Dorothea Henius (1826–1903). Their son Victor Nordan (1862–1933) was also an architect. He became his father's partner in 1887 and took over the company at his death 1892.

Gallery

Førde kyrkje2.jpg,

Førde Church Førde Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the town of Førde. It is the church for the Førde parish which is part of the Sunnfjord prosti (deanery) in the ...

Sunnfjord Municipality Sunnfjord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Førde. Other villages in the municipality include Naustdal, Sande, ...

(1885) Askim kirke.jpg,

Askim Church Askim () is a town and a former municipality in (from January 1, 2020) Indre Østfold municipality in the county of Østfold, Norway. The administrative centre of the Askim municipality was the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipa ...

Østfold Østfold () is a county in Eastern Norway, which from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023 was part of Viken. Østfold borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other ...

(1878) Thorvald Meyers gate 38.jpg, Thorvald Meyers gate 38 at

Grünerløkka Grünerløkka () is a borough but also a neighborhood of the city of Oslo, Norway. Grünerløkka became part of the city of Oslo (then Christiania) in 1858. Grünerløkka was traditionally a working class district; since the late 20th century t ...

(1876) Hetlandsbanken.JPG, Stavanger Hetlandsbanken in

Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...

(1891) Old Police Station in Oslo.JPG, Former fire and police station at

(1866) Hustad-kirke-HH.JPG,

Hustad Church Hustad Church () is a preserved former parish church of the Church of Norway in Inderøy Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located just north of the village of Gangstadhaugen. It is the former main church for the Sandvollan paris ...

Hustadvika Municipality Hustadvika is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional districts of Nordmøre and Romsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality ...

(1874) Grense Jakobselv Kirche.jpg, King Oscar II Chapel at

Grense Jakobselv , , or (also: and ) is a small village in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the shore of the Barents Sea at the mouth of the Jakobselva river. It lies about by road east of the town of Kirkenes. The are ...

(1869) Fritzøehus.jpg, Fritzøehus Manor at

(1860–63)

References

External links

Design drawings by Jacob Wilhelm Nordan (nasjonalmuseet)
1824 births 1892 deaths Architects from Copenhagen Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Danish emigrants to Norway 19th-century Norwegian architects Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour Norwegian ecclesiastical architects {{norway-architect-stub