Sven Julius Risom (

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 ...

, 3 November 1880 —

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 36,604 (1 January 2025)Danish

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who worked mainly in the style of

Nordic Classicism Nordic Classicism was a Architectural style, style of architecture that briefly blossomed in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) between 1910 and 1930. The style was also known as Swedish Grace architecture in Sweden. Until ...

Biography

Sven Risom was born in

on 3 November 1880, the son of Johan Maria Risom (d. 1915) and Thalia Rothe (d. 1918). His father was a doctor at the

Royal Danish Theatre The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first s ...

. Risom began his studies in

Birkerød Birkerød () is a town in Rudersdal Municipality in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is surrounded by several lakes and small woodlands. Birkerød station is located on the Nordbanen, Hillerød radial of the S-train suburban networ ...

in 1899, becoming a

journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...

carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...

in 1902. After time at the

Technical University of Denmark The Technical University of Denmark (), often simply referred to as DTU, is a polytechnic university and school of engineering. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's first polytechnic, and it is today ran ...

(during which he studied under Gustav Vermehren and

Emil Blichfeldt Emil Blichfeldt (5 November 1849 – 20 October 1908) was a Danish architect who worked in the Historicist style. Biography Frederik Thorvald Emil Blichfeldt was born in Copenhagen. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1864 t ...

), he later attended 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 ...

, graduating with a degree in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

in 1909. In the meantime, Risom had been employed in a number of architectural projects. From 1905 to 1906, he was employed by

Hermann Baagøe Storck Hermann Baagøe Storck (18 February 1839 – 4 December 1922) was a Denmark, Danish architect and heraldry, heraldist. As an architect, he is mainly known for the restoration of historic buildings. Among his own designs, his building for the ...

as co-supervisor (along with

Andreas Clemmensen Andreas Clemmensen (7 August 1852 – 5 December 1928) was a Danish architect and royal building inspector. Early life and education Clemmensen was born on 7 August 1852 in Leck, Duchy of Schleswig, the son of Carl Frederik Clemmensen and Charlo ...

and

Ulrik Plesner Ulrik Adolph Plesner, usually known as Ulrik Plesner (17 May 1861 in Vedersø – 22 November 1933 in Skagen) was an innovative Danish architect who designed in a National Romantic style at the beginning of the 20th century. He is remembered in p ...

) of the restoration of

St. Bendt's Church St. Bendt's Church (Danish: ''Sankt Bendts Kirke'') is a church in Ringsted, Denmark, which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery that burnt down in the 18th century. Built in the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque style, it is the olde ...

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately from Copenhagen. History Ringsted was the site of ''Sjællands Landsting'' (lit. ''Z ...

. Risom then worked for the Association of 3 December 1892, a group dedicated to

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

, leading a 1906 survey of older

Danish architecture The architecture of Denmark has its origins in the Viking Age, revealed by archaeological finds. It was established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque architecture, Romanesque, then Gothic architecture, Gothic churches and cathedrals, wer ...

. In 1907, he worked with Hother A. Paludan as co-supervisor of surveying and repair of old

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

churches in

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

. Risom opened his own architectural office in 1908. Risom spent 1911–1913 at the

French School at Athens The French School at Athens (, EfA; ''Gallikí Scholí Athinón'') is one of the seventeen foreign archaeological institutes operating in Athens, Greece. History Founded in 1846, the EfA is the oldest foreign institute in Athens. Its early f ...

, during which time he participated in the

excavation Excavation may refer to: * Archaeological excavation * Excavation (medicine) * ''Excavation'' (The Haxan Cloak album), 2013 * ''Excavation'' (Ben Monder album), 2000 * ''Excavation'' (novel), a 2000 novel by James Rollins * '' Excavation: A Mem ...

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

artifacts. He spent 1914 touring

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 ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. He would later tour

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 1920. On 31 March 1915 Risom married Inger Henriques (Copenhagen, 29 March 1888 — Hillerød, 29 August 1978), daughter of the writer Axel Henriques and Adelheid Fred Meyer. One of their sons,

Jens Risom Jens Risom ( ; 8 May 1916 – 9 December 2016) was a Danish American List of furniture designers, furniture designer. An exemplar of Mid-Century modern design, Risom was one of the first designers to introduce Scandinavian design in the United St ...

(b. Copenhagen, 8 May 1916), would later emigrate to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and become a renowned

furniture designer This is a list of notable people whose primary occupation is furniture design. A * Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) * Eero Aarnio (born 1932) * Robert Adam (1728–1792) * Thomas Affleck (1745–1795) * Franco Albini (1905–1977) * Davis Allen ( ...

. Upon his return to

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, Risom assisted

Thorvald Jørgensen Thorvald Jørgensen (27 June 1867 - 15 May 1946) was a Danish architect, most known for his design of Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, after it had been destroyed in a fire. He has also designed a number of churches in ...

in renovating the Royal Reception Rooms at the

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace (, ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament (), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also ...

from 1915 to 1916. In addition to his work as a practicing architect, Risom served as an external examiner of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1917; was a member of the board of the

Architects' Association of Denmark The Danish Association of Architects ( Danish: , abbreviated to AA), is an independent professional body for architects in Denmark. History The Danish Association of Architects was founded at the initiative of L. A. Petersen on 21 November 187 ...

1920–21; and from 1933, oversaw the inventories of items at the inhabited residences of the Danish monarch, for which service, he was made a Knight of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

. Risom died in

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 36,604 (1 January 2025)Holmens Cemetery Holmen Cemetery (Danish language, Danish: Holmens Kirkegård) is the oldest cemetery still in use in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was first located next to the Royal Danish Navy, naval Church of Holmen in the city centre but relocated to its current si ...

Works

* Hunting Lodge,

Salten Langsø Salten is a traditional district in Nordland county, Norway. It includes the municipalities of Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen, and Hamarøy. Salten covers an area of about and has a population (2016) of about 7 ...

(1908) * Village Hall,

Ballum Ballum is a village on the western half of the island of Ameland and the smallest of the total of four villages on the island, one of the West Frisian Islands and part of the Netherlands. History The village was first mentioned in 1473 as "jn ba ...

(1909–11) * Village Hall, Jejsing (1909–11) * Knudsvej Villa,

Rungsted Rungsted, also known as ''Rungsted Kyst'', is an affluent suburban neighborhood in Hørsholm Municipality on the Øresund coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. The center of Hørsholm is located two kilometers west of Rungsted. At the Øresund coast ...

Hørsholm Municipality Hørsholm Municipality () is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in the Capital Region in the northern part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 31 km2, and has a total population ...

(1917) * Villa for lawyer Axel Simonsen,

(1917) * ''Ankerhus'',

Blokhus Blokhus is a village on the North Jutlandic Island, Denmark. It is located in Jammerbugt Municipality. Blokhus is a popular beach town with around 1 million visitors every year. History Blokhus was originally named ''Hune Hvarre''. In the early ...

(1917) * House at Svanemøllevej 16, Copenhagen (1917) * ''Søbæk Overgaard'', Mørdrupvej 69–75,

Espergærde Espergærde is a town situated in North Zealand near Øresund in Denmark. It is part of the larger urban area Espergærde-Snekkersten-Helsingør ( Elsinore), some 5 to 8 km south of the centre of Helsingør , separated from the urban area of ...

(1918) * Villa ''Rosenlund''Vedbæk Strandvej 328, FC (later merged with

Trørød Trørød is a suburban district in Rudersdal Municipality, located approximately 20 kilometres north of central Copenhagen, Denmark. The original village has merged with the neighbouring communities of Vedbæk and Gammel Holte and now form the sou ...

) (1919) * Villa Clovelly,

Vallerød Vallerød is a former village and current neighbourhood in Hørsholm, Denmark. It is located in the parishes of Rungsted and Kokkedal. The greenspace Nattergaleengen (literally "The Nightinggale Meadow") separates Vallerød from the Hørsholm neig ...

(1920) * Extensions of brew houses on Tuborg and Kongens Bryghus (1920, demolished) * Development plan for 2 sites in

(1922, together with JP Andersen) * Old Folks' Home,

Hørsholm Hørsholm () is an urban area on the Øresund coast approximately north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It covers most of Hørsholm Municipality and straddles the borders neighbouring Fredensborg Municipality and Rudersdal Municipality. Hørsholm proper ...

(1922) *

Mineral Water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

Bottling Plant The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as st ...

owned by

Tuborg Brewery Tuborg is a Danish brewing company founded in 1873 on a harbour in Hellerup, to the north of Copenhagen, Denmark. Since 1970 it has been part of the Carlsberg Group. The brewery's flagship, the Tuborg pilsner, was brewed for the first time in 18 ...

, Strandvejen 54,

Hellerup Hellerup () is a very affluent district of Gentofte Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most urban part of the district is centred on Strandvejen and is bordered by Østerbro to the south and the Øresund to the east. It compr ...

(1923) * Grain Silo at Tuborg (1924, together with Carl Jensen, demolished) * Tuborg's Headquarters, Svanemøllevej 57–61, Copenhagen (1925, rebuilt) * Villa, Grut Allé 10, Hellerup (1927) * Villa Christiansholmsvej 23,

Klampenborg Klampenborg is a northern suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Gentofte Municipality, Gentofte municipality, directly on Øresund, between Taarbæk and Skovshoved. Like other neighbourhoods along the Øresund coast, Klampenborg is an ...

(1928) * Villa, Brodersens Allé 13, Hellerup (1928) * Villa Ålholmvej 46,

Valby Valby () is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is in the southwestern corner of Copenhagen Municipality, and has a mixture of different types of housing. This includes apartment blocks, terraced housing, area ...

(1930) * Estates Clarasvej 5–13,

Charlottenlund Charlottenlund is a suburban area on the coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the administrative seat of Gentofte Municipality. Bordered to the east by the Øresund, to the South by Hellerup and to the north by Klampenborg, it is one of the ...

(1930–31), awarded by

Gentofte Municipality Gentofte Municipality () is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in the Capital Region of Denmark (''Region Hovedstaden'') on the east coast of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. It covers an area of , and has a total pop ...

* Villa Maglemosevej 51, Hellerup (1934, together with Christian Tyge Tillisch) * Villa Parkovsvej 5,

Gentofte Gentofte () is a district of Gentofte Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Major landmarks include Gentofte Town Hall, Gentofte Hospital and Gentofte Church. Gentofte Lake with surrounding parkland and nature reserves form ...

(1934, with the same award from

) * Villa, Swan Vænget 21, Copenhagen (1935) * Estates ''Nordhavn Yard'', Østbanegade 145–61, Copenhagen (1934, together with Christian Tyge Tillisch) * Business Offices, Nørregade 15, Copenhagen (1934–35) * Hotel Frederik IV and Store Kro in

Fredensborg Fredensborg () is a railway town located in Fredensborg Municipality, North Zealand, some 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is most known for Fredensborg Palace, one of the official residences of the Danish royal family. As of 1 Janua ...

(1936) * Housing, Plantevej / Vangedevej (1948–49, together with Svend Albinus)

Restorations and renovations

* United Breweries Headquarters, now known as Hans Christian Andersen Castle,

Tivoli Gardens Tivoli Gardens, also known simply as Tivoli (), is an amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Kla ...

, Copenhagen (1923) * Langeliniepavillonen restaurant, Copenhagen (1933) * Main Building, Øbjerggård (1938) * Store Kro, Fredensborg (1936, together with CT Tillisch)

References

* This article is based on this article on Danish Wikipedia. *
Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon
' 1994 *

' 1957 {{DEFAULTSORT:Risom, Sven 1880 births 1971 deaths Danish architects Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Recipients of the C.F. Hansen Medal Burials at Holmen Cemetery