Lund University main building

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The main building of the Swedish Lund University was designed by architect Helgo Zettervall and inaugurated in 1882. Construction began in 1874, when the old main building Kungshuset had become too small for the growing number of students.

The design is characterised by Helgo Zettervall's fascination with classical antiquity, and features columns and fancy copings. There were originally four sphinxes on the roof, but they had to be removed after some 30 years because of bad quality. In the 1990s four new sphinxes were however located on the roof.

Like many of Zettervall's buildings, it was criticized for a lack of uniformity and not being well thought out.