Niels Sigfred Nebelong (14 October 1806 – 9 October 1871) was a Danish architect who worked in the Historicist style. He was city architect 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 ...

from 1863 and also designed many lighthouses around Denmark in his capacity as resident architect for the Danish lighthouse authority.Gertrud With:

Biography

Early life and education

Niels Sigfred Nebelong was born in

, Denmark. He was the son of Johan Henrik Nebelong and Anna Christine Schreyber. He was the brother of architect Johan Henrik Nebelong. In 1819 he was admitted to 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 ...

where he studied under German-born, Danish architect Gustav Friedrich Hetsch and won both the small and large gold medal, in 1833 and 1837 respectively. Nebelong taught at the academy for several years before he went abroad on its travel scholarship from 1839 to 1842. He first studied with

Henri Labrouste Pierre-François-Henri Labrouste () (11 May 1801 – 24 June 1875) was a French architect from the famous school of architecture. After a six-year stay in Rome, Labrouste established an architectural training workshop, which soon became ...

in Paris and then continued to Italy and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. After a few years as a teacher at the academy, he travelled to Paris, where he studied under

, and then continued to Italy and

, before returning to Denmark in 1842.

Career

Back in Denmark, he had two commissions in

Kolding Kolding () is a Denmark, Danish seaport city located at the head of Kolding Fjord in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the seat of Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre and has numerous industria ...

. In 1846 he returned to Copenhagen. He became a member of the academy in 1855 and the following year was appointed City Architect in Copenhagen. He also had many private clients. Nebelong also served as resident architect for the Danish lighthouse authority, designing numerous lighthouses around the country. He also designed many town jails and court houses. His restorations included

Ribe Cathedral Ribe Cathedral or Our Lady Maria Cathedral ( or ''Vor Frue Maria Domkirke'') is located in the ancient city of Ribe, on the west coast of southern Jutland, Denmark. It was founded in the Viking Age as the first Christian church in Denmark by Ansgar ...

(1843–45, along with F.F. Friis), Store Heddinge Church (1853–54), Garnisons Kirke, Copenhagen (1860), Tranekær Manor (1862-63) and Hårby Church on Funen (1856). He headed the re-building of

Viborg Cathedral Viborg Cathedral, Our Lady Cathedral () is the site of one of Denmark's most important historic churches located in the town of Viborg, Denmark, Viborg in northern Jutland. The modern building is a 19th-century construction based on Lund Cathedra ...

(study 1859, restoration commenced together with J. Tholle 1863, completed in 1876, the interior completed by H.B. Storck) but died before its completion.

Style

Typically of the

Historicist Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying the process or history by which they came about. The term is widely used in philosophy, ant ...

period, Nebelong worked in a number of different styles, including the late Neo-Classicism ( Kolding Gymnasium, 1845–46),

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

( Slagelse Convent, 1857–59), and

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

(

, 1863–76, completed by H.B. Storck).

Selected works

* Skive Town Hall, Skive (1844) * Holsted Courthouse,

Holsted Holsted is a railway town in Vejen Municipality, Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark. It is situated at the stream of Holsted Å, 8 km west of Brørup. Holsted was the seat of Holsted Municipality until 1 January 2007. Holsted consist of two ...

(1845) * Kastrup Glasværk,

Kastrup Kastrup () is a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark, on the east coast of Amager in Tårnby Municipality. It is the site of Copenhagen Airport. In Danish, the airport is often called ''Kastrup Lufthavn'' (Kastrup Airport) or ''Københavns Lufthavn, Kast ...

(o. 1845) * Kolding Gymnasium, Kirketorvet,

(1845–46, ombygget) * Bogense Customs House,

Bogense Bogense () is a town in central Denmark, located on Funen in Nordfyn municipality, Region of Southern Denmark. The town has a population of 4,019 (1 January 2025). With its half-timbered houses, narrow streets and large marina, it is a popular t ...

(1846) * Town Hall and Court- and Jailhouse,

Holstebro Holstebro is the main town in Holstebro Municipality, Denmark. The town, bisected by Storå, Denmark, ''Storåen'' ("The Large Creek") and has a population of 37,487 (1 January 2025).Nykøbing Mors Nykøbing Mors is the largest town on the island of Mors in the Limfjord in Denmark. The town received its charter in 1299 and has a population of 8,859, as of 1 January 2025.

(1846–47, since 1924 only town hall) * Odense Customs House (adaption and extension), 4 Londongade,

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

(1847) * ''Sølyst'' country house, 321 Vedbæk Strandvej,

Vedbæk Vedbæk is a wealthy suburban neighbourhood on the coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It belongs to Rudersdal Municipality and has merged with the town of Hørsholm to the north. The area has been inhabited for at least 7,000 years, as evidenced ...

(1847, redesigned in 1915) * Blegdamsvej Jailhouse, 6 Blegdamsvej (1847–48, with M. G. Bindesbøll, rebuilt) * Old Carlsberg: Main building (1852–54) and various other buildings (with J.C. Jacobsen, listed) * Strandmøllen main building for Johan Christian Drewsen, 895 Strandvejen (1850, vinduer udskiftet) * Workers housing, 66-70 and 84-88 Overgaden oven Vandet,

Christianshavn Christianshavn () is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of the city centre by the Inner Harbour, ...

, Copenhagen (1851–52) * Lunde Church ved

Svendborg Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,616 (1 January 2025), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.Frederik Christoffer Bülow, 5 Ewaldsgade, Copenhagen (1853, listed) * 24 Bredgade/2 Sankt Annæ Plads (1855) * Vartov (rebuilding), Farvergade 27, København (1856–60) * Skagen Lighthouse,

Grenen Grenen is a long sandbar spit at Skagen Odde (the headland of Jutland), north of the town of Skagen. Overview ''Grenen'' (The Branch) was named for its shape like a tree-branch, reaching out from the mainland. The beach of Grenen appears in ...

(1858, listed) * Vesborg Lighthouse, Kolby,

Samsø Samsø (Anglicized: "Samso" or "Samsoe") is a Denmark, Danish island in the Kattegat off the Jutland Peninsula. Samsø is located in Samsø municipality. The community has 3,724 inhabitants (2017) (January 2010:4,010) called ''Samsings'' and is ...

(1858) * Slagelse New Convent(1857–59) * Vridsløselille State Prison (1859) * Copenhagen Pumping station, mow Pumpehuset, Studiestræde (1859, udpeget som nationalt industriminde 2007) * Odense Courthouse, 28 Albanigade,

(1861, extended) * Christianshavn Penitentiary,

Christianshavns Torv Christianshavns Torv is the central town square, public square of the Christianshavn neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is situated at the intersection of Torvegade and Christianshavns Kanal, Christianshavn Canal, roughly at the center of the ...

, Christianshavn (1861–64, demolished1928) * Hirtshals Lighthouse,

Hirtshals Hirtshals is a town and seaport on the coast of Skagerrak on the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe. It is located in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland. The town of Hirtshals has a ...

(1863) * Viborg Penitentiary (extension), Viborg (1863–64) * Town Hall, Court- and Jailhouse,

Nykøbing Sjælland Nykøbing, often referred to as Nykøbing Sjælland or Nykøbing Sj to distinguish it from Nykøbing F and Nykøbing Mors, Nykøbing M, is a seaside town in Denmark, located in Odsherred on the northwestern part of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand. Lo ...

(1868–69) * Connecting building, New Carlsberg (1871–76, with Carl Florian Thomsen, demolished) * Bovbjerg Lighthouse (posthumously 1876–77)

Restoration work

Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...

(1843–45, with F.F. Friis) * Store Heddinge Churchm

Store Heddinge Store Heddinge is a Danish town in Region Sjælland. It is the administrative seat of Stevns Municipality, and has a population of 3,633 (1 January 2025).Garrison Church, Copenhagen (1860) * Tranekær Castle (1862–63) * Hårby Church,

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

(1856) *

(restoration with J. Tholle 1863–1876) *

Trinitatis Church The Trinitatis Church (''Trinitatis Kirke'') is located in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the 17th century Trinitatis Complex, which includes the Rundetårn astronomical observatory tower and the Copenhagen University Library, in ad ...

and

Rundetårn The Round Tower () is a 17th-century tower in Copenhagen, Denmark, one of the many architectural projects of Christian IV. Built as an astronomical observatory, it is noted for its equestrian staircase, a 7.5-turn helical corridor leading to th ...

(1870–71, according to Christian Hansen's renderings)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nebelong, Niels Sigfred Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Architects from Copenhagen 1806 births 1871 deaths Recipients of the C.F. Hansen Medal 19th-century Danish architects Historicist architects