Jørgen Hansen Koch

Jørgen Hansen Koch
Born	4 September 1787 Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	30 January 1860 (aged 72) Copenhagen, Denmark
Nationality	Danish
Occupation	Architect
Buildings	Sæby Church

Jørgen Hansen Koch (4 September 1787 – 30 January 1860) was a Neoclassical Danish architect. He was the leader of the national Danish building administration from 1835 and director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1844 to 1849.

Biography

Koch attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1807 to 1816 where he studied under Christian Frederik Hansen, the leading Danish architect of the time. In 1818, together with the sculptor Hermann Ernst Freund,^[1] he traveled to Rome where he met Bertel Thorvaldsen and other members of the Danish artists' colony who resided in the city at that time. Freund became Thorvaldsen's assistant while Koch later continued to Greece, making him the first Danish architect educated at the Academy to visit the cradle of the Classical architecture which was the period's main source of inspiration for architects.^[2] He also visited Constantinople before returning to Italy. In 1822 he returned to Denmark by way of France and London.

Back in Denmark, he was appointed Royal Master Builder, succeeding Christian Frederik Hansen as the leader of the national building administration. From 1835 he also held a professorial chair at the Royal Academy and between 1844 and 1849 served as its director.^[2]

In 1837 he became part of the Committee for the Foundation of Thorvaldsen's Museum.^[3]

Works

Koch was responsible for a number of renovations and reconstructions of Royal residences, including Brockdorff's Palace (1827–28) and Bernstorff's Mansion (1829). He also designed a number of schools, including Frederiksborg Gymnasium and Roskilde Cathedral School (1842).^[2]

In Copenhagen, he designed Hansen Mansion (1835) in Frederiksstaden.

Family and Hans Christian Andersen link

Jørgen Koch was married to Ida Koch née Wulff. They belonged to the circle around Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen had an open invitation to visit the family for dinner on Fridays. Andersen also developed a friendly relationship with their childrem which continued after the parents' death, as did the dinner arrangement on Fridays. Andersen also new other members of the Koch and Wulff families.^[4]

See also

• List of Danish architects
• Architecture of Denmark

References

1. "Jørgen Koch". Bertel Thorvaldsens Brevarkiv. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
2. "Jørgen Hansen Koch". Gyldendal. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
3. "Comitteen for Oprettelsen af Thorvaldsens Museum". Bertel Thorvaldsens Brevarkiv. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
4. "H.C.Andersen og familierne Wulff og Koch". Andersenmania. Retrieved 2010-10-08.