Lanak is similar to Hu Xueyan, a successful banker who thrives on old-fashioned money banking. After moving into the mansion, the two soon lost their family road, neither of them died a good death, and their lives eventually became a tragedy.
In 1871, the year before the construction of the Hu Xueyan mansion began, on the other side of the globe, Dunedin, New Zealand, a rich New Zealander named Larnach, also began to build his own private home. The private residence, which came to be known as Larnach Castle, was New Zealand's top mansion at the time and the only castle-like building in New Zealand. It is built on a 140,000-square-meter (35-acre) plateau overlooking the bay. The mansion was designed by the best architects in New Zealand at the time. Later, however, due to the intervention of the owner, the changes were so great that the architect refused to admit that the castle was in his own hands.
The architecture of Larnach Castle is described as Victorian, with neo-Gothic towers and a colonial-style two-story veranda surrounded on three sides. The cast iron colonnade is a classic Element of the Victorian period, and the veranda itself is a major feature of the colonial style. Because it decorated the roof with battlements, it was called a castle.
The main building of the castle covers an area of about 400 square meters (4300 square feet), and the total area includes the banquet hall that was later added to the castle, which is about 1500 square meters, with a total of 34 rooms. However, this does not take into account other auxiliary rooms such as stables, dormitories, workshops, etc. It is said that there are as many as 46 servants working in the castle alone, and it is conceivable that the dormitory area will not be too small. But no matter how much the overall floor area will be, on top of this 140,000 square meters wide plot, the plot ratio will be negligible. This figure means that its landscape and views can be taken to the extreme, and indeed it is, and the gardens of Lanark Castle are considered to be the most beautiful even in New Zealand, which is known as the last garden on earth.
Lanark Castle is a wooden and stone structure with stone walls and a wooden roof. Its building materials are imported from Europe, except for local basalt and sandstone. Floor tiles from Glasgow, marble from Italy, pebbles from Marseille, France, and black slate from Wales. Glass alone cost 20 tons, all imported from Venice.
In response to the howling sea breeze from the Pacific Ocean, the verandas and windows are double glazed. The main rooms are heated by fireplaces in winter, and each fireplace is required to have its own chimneys according to building codes, so as in the British home, there are chimneys on the roof. After the completion of the main project, the owner spent another 12 years on the interior decoration, and the ceiling of the foyer alone took six and a half years to carve. Therefore, in terms of luxury, it is not inferior to the Hu Xueyan mansion that was built almost at the same time, and in terms of the convenience and comfort of life, it is even worse.
Lanak is similar to Hu Xueyan, a successful banker who thrives on the old-fashioned money banking business. After moving into the mansion, the two soon lost their family road, neither of them died a good death, and their lives eventually became a tragedy. Their mansions have been repeatedly transferred to disrepair and dilapidated. Lanarc Castle was also used as a base for U.S. forces during World War II. As two top mansions built at the same time, Lanak Castle and Hu Xueyan Mansion can be used as a comparison between the West and China at that time in terms of social development and life concepts, which are clear and clear at a glance.
About Truespace
Since 1993, the "Chuzhi Space" team has accumulated nearly 30 years of experience in high-end villa decoration design and construction. Team members have traveled the world for many years and returned from the United States, with both traditional aesthetics and international vision, and the cases they have become are all integrated with exquisite life and elegant style, highlighting the extraordinary taste of home.