Bishop Gunner himself belonged to the Franciscan Order. The Bishop of Aarhus also donated the income from Ladegård Church (the original parish church) and Gjern Church to support the monks. The monastery was originally a four-winged complex, with the church forming the north wing, the east wing housing the dormitory and chapter house, the south wing housing the kitchen and dining hall for the monks at the east end, and the west end serving as a dining hall for the working people. The west wing was probably used as a storeroom, hospital, etc.
The monks first built the church, but only the two eastern bays. The initial plans were probably to build a lower church with a flat ceiling, but these were changed during construction, and the church was given vaults. The third bay was built around 1470 when Ladegård Church was demolished and Tvilum therefore had to function as both a monastery church and a parish church.
