August 2008
Nørre Vosborg, one of Denmark’s most impressive manors, stands behind a moat with double embankments in the unspoiled marsh-like landscape by Nissum Fjord in Western Denmark. It is the oldest of many fortified castles which were established along the west coast of Denmark during the Middle Ages. The oldest Vosborg has gone, but the present four-winged building represents more than four centuries of history and heritage. The oldest building is the eastern wing, a massive two-storied Gothic stone house dating back to the middle of the 16th century.
Over the years, Nørre Vosborg has been visited by prominent historical figures such as King Frederick VII of Denmark and his third wife Countess Danner as well as Hans Christian Andersen, who spent two weeks at Nørre Vosborg in the summer of 1859.
The strong presence of history also led to Nørre Vosborg being chosen as the main location for the Academy Award-winning film Babette's Feast, based on a story by Karen Blixen, who also wrote Out of Africa and received two nominations for the Nobel Prize in her lifetime.
In 2003, the property company Realea - a wholly owned subsidiary of Realdania - purchased the historical manor house. Having undertaken one of the most expensive manor restorations and conversions ever in Denmark, Realea has developed the property into a living museum and cultural centre with a newly-built hotel wing as well as modern conference and restaurant facilities.
The new hotel wing, designed by Arkitema, matches the largest of the complex's buildings in terms of volume, but despite its size and location, it does not compete for attention with the historical courtyard area and the main axis of the complex.
So, despite the long chronological span, the many historical layers and the strongly functional division of the complex, the manor's symmetry around a central axis and its structural proportions, in particular that of the two barn buildings, provide an overall impression of a complex with great homogeneity and an intact sense of place.
To lower the impact of the hotel wing and avoid an imbalance in the historical structure, other materials have been used than the old stud buildings' dominant red brick and thatched roofs. Instead, wood was preferred as an unpretentious and light material that would match the frugal red-brick buildings. Wood pervades the entire hotel building, even the roof, which is clad with planks of Siberian larch in a clapboard pattern.
Quality materials have been used throughout the hotel building, and the interior has been equipped with modern Danish furniture classics as well as contemporary Italian designer furniture. In addition, all AV-installations have been handled by Bang & Olufsen, the Danish provider of high-end multi-room music and video systems.
All guest rooms have been fitted with the versatile BeoCenter 6 flat-screen TV with built-in FM/DAB radio as well as the classic 1401 telephone, one of the many icons of design and performance in the Bang & Olufsen portfolio. In the hotel suite and public areas, the complete home entertainment centre BeoVision 7 has been installed to offer guests the ultimate in sound and vision.
"The history of Nørre Vosborg goes back more than 700 years, and we are proud to see how well the Bang & Olufsen products complement these utterly unique surroundings. It is wonderful to witness how the manor has been brought back to life so that it now offers a compelling combination of historical atmosphere and modern comfort," says Flemming Nielsen, Managing Director, Bang & Olufsen Enterprise.
The connection between Nørre Vosborg and Bang & Olufsen even extends beyond the cutting edge AV-installations. Peter Skak Olufsen, descendant of Bang & Olufsen co-founder Svend Olufsen and member of the Bang & Olufsen board of directors, is also director of the Nørre Vosborg board.
Skak Olufsen accepted this position as he has strong feelings for Nørre Vosborg, which he has visited frequently over the years, and as he himself is the owner another local manor, Quistrup, where Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen founded Bang & Olufsen more than eighty years ago.
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