Øregaard undergoes extensive renovation project

 

Thanks to a generous donation from the charitable foundation A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal and funds from the Municipality of Gentofte, a thorough renovation of Øregaard can now be initiated.

 

A.P. Møller og Hustrus Fond and the Municipality of Gentofte have donated a total of just over 20 million Danish kroner for a necessary renovation of the main building of the Øregaards Estate, which was built in 1806-7. The dual goal of the renovation is to restore the building's simple neo-classicist splendour and to bring the museum's exhibition facilities up to modern-day standards.

 

The beautiful old building will be fitted with climate control, exhibition lighting and new facilities for the public. In the process, the electric installations and fire safety features are renewed, a wide plank floor is put in, and the paintwork is restored to the traditional colour scheme.

 

The project is the result of an effort that the museum's board and director launched in autumn 2007. The listed country estate from 1806 can now be renovated in an approach that respects the beautiful neo-classicist interiors. - "We are deeply grateful that the museum's permanent art collection and the temporary exhibitions can now have the necessary conditions with regard to lighting, climate, security and safety. Øregaard's homey feel and the exquisite location overlooking the Sound make this place a real gem that many people love to visit. The renovation will make for an even better experience and also offers an opportunity for us to rethink the activities of the museum," says Museum Director Sidsel Maria Søndergaard.

 

Reopening - back to the roots

The renovation is scheduled to be complete in October 2010, when the museum reopens with the exhibition In the Presence of Beauty - from Copenhagen to the Danish West Indies, which deals with the era when the building was constructed.