He experienced a breakthrough when he won the competition for the design of the buildings at the Nordic Exhibition of 1888.

He constructed all his exhibition pavilions of wood at a time when iron and glass was favored for temporary structures.

His background as a carpenter may have been an influence and it gave him the opportunity to showcase his ideals of quality materials and visible construction principles.

Nyrop was awarded the Grand Prix for design at the Exposition Universelle at Paris in 1900.

[3] Nyrop designed the Copenhagen City Hall (1905) in National Romantic style and the majority of the buildings for the Nordic Industrial, Agricultural and Art Exhibition in Copenhagen (1888).