The
estate was purchased in 1742 by general Christian Lerche and the house was
built 1743-4 in the late Baroque/Rococo style of the times. It is
believed to have been designed by the general in collaboration with
Nicolai Eigtved (architect of Amalienborg, the royal palace in Copenhagen).
The whole complex of park, main building and wings, courtyard and massive
ranges of home farm buildings were completed in accordance with the strict
symmetrical principles of the Baroque. (Picture
from the air at Lerchenborg's website)
The
white-washed main building is seventeen bays long with a three-bay central
projection with a triangular pediment and corner projections of two bays. The
garden side is basically of the same pattern. All the projections have
rococo decorations above. There are two entrances, one in the centre of
each half of the facade. The interior is very much in the rococo style.
The
two identical and symmetrical wings are lower than the main building but
also have central pediments with rococo decorations. The hipped roofs on
all three buildings are of slate, although originally they had red tiles.
The
house is still owned by the Lerche family. Hans Christian Andersen visited
in 1862 - more
about his visits here and at other manor houses. |