In 1897, Otto Mønsted, a Danish businessman and margarine magnate, purchased three pieces of land in Østerbro, Copenhagen and hired architect Vilhelm Dahlerup to design a villa. Dahlerup, who specialised in Italian Renaissance style design had previously designed the Hotel D’Angleterre, Jesus Church in Valby, National Gallery, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, amongst others. Completed in 1899, the building of the mansion cost Mønsted half a million krone.