Vilhelm Klein (6 March 1835 – 10 February 1913) was a Danish architect who adopted the

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

approach, frequently emulating the so-called Rosenborg style and the Italian

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

style.

Early life

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark as the son of Ditlev Vilhelm Klein (1793-1868) and Marie Kirstine Skousboe (1806-1891). He first trained as a stonemason before studying at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) 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 Dani ...

where he was awarded the grand silver medal in 1856. From 1851 to 1856, he worked as a draftsman for

Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

who he always considered to have been his main instructor."Vilhelm Klein"
''Dansk Biografisk Leksikon''. Retrieved 15 January 2013.

Career

From 1857 to 1862, he worked as an architectural designer for

Ferdinand Meldahl Ferdinand Meldahl (16 March 1827 – 3 February 1908) was a Danish architect best known for the reconstruction of Frederiksborg Castle after the fire in 1859. Meldahl was one of the leading proponents of historicism in Denmark. Biography He was ...

who also influenced his style. He also worked for

Johan Daniel Herholdt Johan Daniel Herholdt (13 August 1818 – 11 April 1902) was a Danish architect, professor and royal building inspector. He worked in the Historicist style and had a significant influence on Danish architecture during the second half of the 19th an ...

during the construction of Selchausdal Manor (1857) in

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,211 (1 January 2022),Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

, crediting Bindesbøll for its prominent place in Danish architecture. From 1866 to 1872, he undertook substantial extensions to Bindesbøll's ''Lægeforeningens boliger'' social housing development in the

Østerbro Østerbro () (literally, "Eastern Bridge") is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located just north of the city centre, outside the old city gate Østerport which, after it was moved around 1700, used to be located clo ...

District of Copenhagen. His masterpieces include the Industriforeningen Building in the Italian Renaissance style on Vesterbro (erected 1872 in conjunction with the Nordic Exhibition, demolished 1976-77), the

Danish Museum of Art & Design The Designmuseum Denmark () is a museum in Copenhagen for Danish and international design and crafts. It features works of famous Danish designers like Arne Jacobsen, Jacob Jensen and Kaare Klint, who was one of the two architects who remodeled ...

(''Kunstindustrimuseet'') in the Rosenborg style on

Rådhuspladsen City Hall Square ( da, Rådhuspladsen, ) is a public square in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark, located in front of the Copenhagen City Hall. Its large size, central location, and affiliation with the city hall makes it a popular venue for a ...

(1893), and the main building at the Ny Carlsberg Brewhouse (1901) also in Italian Renaissance style.

Culture canon

Vilhelm Klein is listed in the

Danish Culture Canon The Danish Culture Canon ( da, Kulturkanonen) consists of 108 works of cultural excellence in eight categories: architecture, visual arts, design and crafts, film, literature, music, performing arts, and children's culture. An initiative of Brian ...

together with

in connection with the social housing development in Lægeforeningens boliger—Brumleby."Brumleby"
, Kulturkanonen. Retrieved 14 January 2013.

List of works

* Garden Wing of

Selchausdal Selchausdal, formerly Gundetved, is a manor house and estate located on the east side of Tissø, Kalundborg Municipality, some 0+ kilometres west of Copenhagen, Denmark. The three-winged Renaissance Revival style main building is from 1857 and w ...

(1857, listed) * Organ in Frederiksborg Cahpel, Gillerød (1861) * Villa Sommariva, Nordre Strandvej,

Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; sv, Helsingör), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a city in eastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 62,686 on 1 January 2018. Helsingør and Helsingborg in Sweden together form the northern ...

(c. 1865) * Provost Monrad's villa, Falkoner Allé,

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is formally an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the City of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of ...

(1866, demolished in 1907) * Freemasons' Lodge (Lundegade wing),

(1866–67) * Ringsted Oharmacy,

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 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busiest ...

(1867) * Extension of

Brumleby Brumleby is an enclave of terraced houses in Copenhagen, Denmark, located between Øster Allé and Østerbrogade, just south of Parken Stadium and St. James' Church. Built for indigent workers by the Danish Medical Association from 1854 to 1872, i ...

, Østerbrogade 57, row J-S (1867–72, listed) * Sparekassen for Kjøbenhavn of Omegn,

Niels Hemmingsens Gade Niels Hemmingsens Gade is a street in the Old Town of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from the western part of Amagertorv in the south to Skindergade in the north and passes Gråbrødretorv on the way. The Church of the Holy Ghost is located in the ...

24, Copenhagen (1867–68, with H. C. Stilling) * Extension of Sparekassen for Løbenhavn ogOmegn,

Valkendorfsgade Valkendorfsgad (literally "Valkendorf Street") is a street in the Old Town of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Købmagergade in the northeast to the Church of the Holy Ghost, Copenhagen, Church of the Holy Ghost in the southwest where it makes a s ...

, Copenhagen (1873 and 1876) * Industriudstillingsbygning, Vesterbrogade 1, Copenhagen (1868, built 1870-72 and 1879, demolished 1977) * Langkilde House, Helsingør (1868, possibly only project) * Ganløse Workhouse,

Ganløse Ganløse is a town located in the Egedal Municipality, in the Capital Region of Denmark. Notable people * Hans Knudsen (1865–1947) a Danish artist of landscape paintings. He lived close to the forest edge of Ganløse Ore in Egedal, right on ...

(1869) * Aalborg By og Omegns Sparekasse,

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

(1873–74, altered) * Centralhotellet, Rådhuspladsen 16/Vesterbrogade 2 A, Copenhagen (1873–74, demolished 1934) * Jernbanegade 3-5, Copenhagen (1874, demolished) * Holbergsgade 14, Copenhagen (1874) * Peder Skrams Gade 15, Copenhagen (1874) * Rådhuspladsen 14, Copenhagen (1875, demolished 1960) *

Store Kongensgade Store Kongensgade ( lit. English. Great King's Street) is the longest street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends northeast from Kongens Nytorv to Esplanaden, running parallel to Bredgade, where it breaks left, continuing northwest to Grøn ...

63, Copenhagen (1875) * Holbergsgade 16, Copenhagen (1876) *

Frederiksborggade Frederiksborggade is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Kultorvet square in the southeast to Søtorvet where Queen Louise's Bridge connects it to Nørrebrogade in Nørrebro on the other side of The Lakes. The street is effect ...

28-30, Copenhagen (1876) * Karens Minde, Wagnersvej 19 (1877 and 1894) * Extension of

, Copenhagen (1878, demolished) * Døvstummeskole, Baldersgade (1880, 1903-1974 Balders Hospital) *

Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen for Kvinder Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen for Kvinder (literally Draftsmanship and Industrial Design School for Women but sometimes referred to as the Arts and Crafts School for Women) was a private Danish educational establishment in Copenhagen. From 1875, it ...

, H.C. Andersens Boulevard 10, Copenhagen (1880-1881, listed) * Facade of Sparekassen for Helsingør og Omegn, Stengade, Helsingør (1883) * Mellem- og Realskole, Klosterstræde,

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Ny Carlsberg Brewhouse The Ny Carlsberg Brewhouse (Danish: Ny Carlsberg Bryghus) is a historic, listed building in the Carlsberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark, on the border between Vesterbro and Valby. History The Ny Carlsberg Brewhouse was built by Carl Jacobsen ...

Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to: Places * Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark ** Carlsberg station, its train station * Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany * Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses * Carlsbe ...

, Copenhagen (1901, based on initial sketch by

Carl Jacobsen Carl Christian Hillman Jacobsen (2 March 1842 – 11 January 1914) was a Danish brewer, art collector and philanthropist. Though often preoccupied with his cultural interests, Jacobsen was a shrewd and visionary businessman and initiated the tra ...

, listed) * Main building, bottling plant and gatekeeper's house, Carlsberg, Vester Fælledvej 100 (1902–03, altered)

Gallery

File:Den konstindustrielle Udstilling 1880.jpg, Industruforening Building (1872) File:Brumleby 02.JPG, Lægeforeningens boliger in Brumleby (completed 1872) File:Tegneskolen for Kvinder 02.jpg, Tegneskolen for Kvinder, Copenhagen (1880–81) File:Kopenhaga tivoli jan2004 ubt.jpeg, Kunstindustri Museum (1894) File:Ny Carlsberg Bryghus.jpg, Ny Carlsberg Brewhouse (1901)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Vilhelm 1835 births 1913 deaths Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog Architects from Copenhagen