Nordan was born in
Copenhagen, Denmark and came to Norway as a child with his mother. He attended the
Royal Drafting School (
Den Kongelige Tegneskole) in Christiania (now Oslo), where
Johannes Flintoe,
Christian Heinrich Grosch and
Johan Henrik Nebelong were among his teachers. From 1849 to 1852, Nordan worked under architect Johan Henrik Nebelong as assistant and building manager during the construction of
Oscarshall. From 1852 to 1855, he studied at the
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and received travel grants to
Bavaria and
Austria. In 1856, he established architectural office in
Christiania, while he also taught at the Royal Drafting School. While working for the Ministry of the
Church of Norway, he designed nearly one hundred churches. Among his designs are also Fritzøehus Manor located outside
Larvik, the former fire and police station in
Oslo at
Møllergata 19, and the bazaars on the public square at
Youngstorget in downtown Oslo. In 1860, Nordan married Danish artist Henriette Dorothea Henius (1826–1903). Their son
Victor Nordan (1862–1933) was also an architect. He became his father's partner in 1887 and took over the company at his death 1892. ==Gallery==