Christian IV commissioned the tower, and the foundation stone was laid on July 7, 1637. Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger is generally credited as architect, though the article says his commission is not clearly documented. He died in 1639, and Leonhard Blasius took over. The tower was completed in 1642, and the adjoining church and library in 1657.
It is cylindrical and 114 feet (34.8 m) tall, in a restrained Dutch Baroque. Alternating yellow and red bricks were ordered from the Netherlands. A spiral ramp makes 7.5 turns around a hollow masonry core, and the observation deck has a wrought-iron lattice made in 1643.
The university stopped using it as an observatory in 1860, and it became a public observatory in 1928. The Library Hall has hosted exhibitions since 1987. The article gives no ticket prices.
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