The Eremitage Palace, a hunting lodge constructed between 1734 and 1736, remains a primary example of the work of Lauritz de Thurah, featuring a mechanical elevator-table designed for private dining. As a self-taught architect and military officer, he served the Kingdom of Denmark during a period of transition between the late baroque and the emerging rococo styles.
Early Military and Engineering Background
Born in Aarhus in 1706 to a family of clerical stature, he was introduced to the royal house through his father, Bishop Laurids Thura. By 1719, he entered the Military Cadet Academy in Copenhagen to prepare for the Engineer Corps. His early career included service as an Assistant Resident Engineer in Rendsburg from 1725 to 1729. During this period, he produced technical drawings of fortifications and structures to secure royal funding for a formal study tour, eventually visiting Germany, Italy, France, Holland, and England between 1729 and 1731.
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Following his return to Denmark, he was appointed Royal Building Master in 1733, assuming responsibility for royal estates on Zealand and Lolland-Falster. He executed significant projects, including the Yellow Palace in Roskilde and early renovations at Hirschholm Palace. His career advanced alongside his military rank, culminating in his promotion to general. After his 1740 marriage to Anna Rosenørn, he was granted nobility and became known as de Thurah.
Stylistic Challenges and Historical Documentation
Throughout the 1740s, de Thurah faced professional friction as his preferred baroque aesthetic lost favor to the rococo style popularized by his rival, Nicolai Eigtved. Despite this, he completed the tower and spire of the Church of Our Lady in 1744 and assisted with the design of the spire for the Church of Our Saviour in 1748, drawing inspiration from his earlier observations in Rome. His dedication to historical record was cemented by the 1746–1749 publication of Den danske Vitruvius, a three-volume survey of Danish architecture containing nearly 400 measured drawings.
Fast facts
- Born: 1706, Aarhus
- Died: 1759, Copenhagen
- Occupations: Architect, general contractor
- Highest Military Rank: General
- Burial site: Trinitatis Church
- Primary Fields: Baroque architecture, civil engineering
- Key Publication: Den danske Vitruvius
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Denmark
Questions readers ask
Why is the Eremitage Palace notable?
It featured an innovative mechanical table system that allowed meals to be hoisted from the kitchen to the dining room, facilitating private dining without servants present.
What style did Lauritz de Thurah favor?
He remained loyal to the late baroque style throughout his career, even as the newer rococo style gained popularity in Denmark.
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