Restoration Principles

In restoring an entire building or castle complex such as Frederiksborg, it is important to maintain and emphasise the strong unity of the castle and the adjoining buildings. This view forms the basis for the Palaces and Properties Agency’s work in and around Frederiksborg, and the Agency is stressing that the main periods of the castle’s history should be maintained for posterity and, in principle, treated with the same respect.

Three periods in Frederiksborg’s history

Frederiksborg Castle as we know it today reflects first and foremost three important periods: the early Frederiksborg of Frederik II in the 1500s, the modified Frederiksborg of his son Christian IV from 1600 to 1620, and finally the Frederiksborg that was rebuilt after the major fire under the direction of architect Ferdinand Meldahl in 1860-84. In its work to restore the castle complex, the Palaces and Properties Agency is stressing that all three periods should be maintained for posterity and, in principle, treated with the same respect.

The bulk of the planned work at Frederiksborg can be termed restoration, and as a starting point it does not entail significant building modifications. But in this work too it is important to respect and maintain the building’s historical value. For example, we must continuously be aware of the authenticity of the castle’s materials, their signs of wear and their patina.

Interventions must be justified

Interventions that have to be made in an old building often conflict with the desire to retain historical testimony and materials. Any intervention must therefore be justified and ideally take its starting point in the existing choice of materials and methods. It must be decided whether individual building parts should remain untouched or whether they should be restored or replaced. The specific level of restoration must be continuously discussed with the Danish Cultural Heritage Agency.

In order to retain the historical identity and character of the complex, it is important that the buildings do not appear “too smart” or “as new” after restoration. The aim is to replace only those parts that threaten the building’s state of health or strongly distract attention from the building’s architectural tone.

In the case of new building work, it is important to take the existing structures as the starting point, adding new architectural elements that are in harmony with the historical values without drowning out the building’s original character.

In this way Frederiksborg Castle can be handed on to future generations with its distinctive identity intact.