FAQ

When will H.C. Andersen’s House open?
The building and the exhibition are both expected to be finished in time for the museum to open in the summer of 2021.

Why has an opening date not yet been set?
We will open in the summer of 2021, but we are holding off on being specific about a date. We are monitoring the current developments surrounding the COVID-19 situation before announcing an opening date.

How many visitors are expected at H.C. Andersen’s House?
We expect 2-300,000 annual visitors to H.C. Andersen’s House. The actual numbers for the first year will heavily depend on the development surrounding COVID-19, however, and it is difficult to make a long-term prediction in terms of when tourism will function as normal again.

Who is behind the construction of H.C. Andersen’s House?
The new H.C. Andersen’s House is a municipal project with Odense Municipality as the owner and the city council as the decision-making authority. The A.P. Møller Foundation has financed the majority of the construction.

Odense City Museums is responsible for the exhibition aspect of the project. The architect and coordinating contractor is Kengo Kuma & Associates along with C & W Architects (architect), CORNELIUS VÖGE APS (architect), MASU Planning (landscaping) and Søren Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniørfirma (engineer). The content concept is created by Event: Exhibition Design, London.

Which foundations support the construction of H.C. Andersen’s House?
The A.P. Møller Foundation has contributed 258 million DKK, the Augustinus Foundation with 27 million DKK, Knud Højgaards Fond with 4 million DKK and Nordea-fonden with 4.7 million DKK.

What is the total budget for the construction and the exhibitions?
The total budget for the construction and the exhibitions is 390 million DKK (approx. €52 million).

Will the planned budget suffice?
Construction projects of this magnitude often require ongoing revisions in terms of solutions, quality and consulting. This has also been the case for H.C. Andersen’s House. These revisions have led to an increased budget.

Why has the budget been increased?
This has happened to ensure the completion of the project. It is beyond any doubt that the project is very significant for Odense, and this adds to the desire to deliver a museum that fulfills all expectations.

Is the project on schedule?
Yes. The construction and the exhibition are both expected to be finished by the summer of 2021. The project design phase has taken longer than expected, but the construction itself has not been delayed.

Has COVID-19 affected the construction (practically, financially)?
This is impossible to accurately determine, but our estimate is that COVID-19 has affected the project in a highly limited manner so far.

What is the purpose of the new H.C. Andersen’s House?
H.C. Andersen’s House will be a completely new kind of museum, which spatializes the experience of Andersen’s literary universe and stages a spirited and complete artistic experience in which architecture, sound, light and images will create new encounters between each visitor and Andersen’s fairytales.

Haven’t we had enough of H.C. Andersen? How is this project any different?
Over the years, money has often been made off of H.C. Andersen by sticking a papercut or a fairytale slogan on a random product. But we haven’t had enough of Andersen as an artist. He is eternally relevant, if only you actually let him speak. This is why a different thing about the new museum is how we have based it on his way of perceiving and relaying the world. Even though most people know Andersen from having his stories read aloud as a child or from school, we dare promise that a whole lot of people will get a completely new experience, when his universe gets unfolded on his own terms. You will meet a world you think you know.

Which criteria have been formulated in advance of curating the contributing artists?
Our goal has been to identify artists who, in their own artistic endeavors, both aesthetically and in terms of their values, work in a way that corresponds with Andersen’s own artistic approach and the way the museum stages this. As such, the goal has been to identify artists that fit the overall Andersen mode expression, which we have aimed to establish.

Why haven’t local artists been a priority for the museum?
First and foremost, we have chosen the artists that we believe to artistically be the right people for the job – without focusing on whether or not they were local or international. With that said, Andersen represents a global story. It is the story of a globally known author from Odense, not about a local artist in Odense. As such, we feel it is natural to not limit ourselves in terms of our location, but to also let the world tell and interpret the story of Andersen, then and now.

Where will the entrance to the museum be?
The address of the new H.C. Andersen’s House will be H.C. Andersen Haven 1. However, it will be possible to gain access via several streets around the house and the garden: Hans Jensens Stræde, Bangs Boder, Torvegade and the parking garage.

What is the vision for the new museum garden next to H.C. Andersen’s House?
The vision for the museum garden is to create a green oasis in downtown Odense, where nature reflects the magical world of Andersen. The magical garden will consist of new trees and green plants, but we will preserve the large maple tree (‘the light tree’), which faces Thomas B. Thriges Gade. The garden will be a public park, which everyone can visit, regardless of whether or not they are visitors of the museum.

Where will the H.C. Andersen Garden be placed?
The H.C. Andersen Garden will be placed where the former Lotze’s Garden was and stretch across part of the area that used to be Thomas B. Thriges Gade. As such, the garden will intertwine with the new downtown area and the light rail.

How do you ensure safety in terms of COVID-19?
We are closely monitoring the developments surrounding COVID-19 and will adhere to all guidelines and restrictions put forth by the Danish Health Authority, when the museum opens in the summer of 2021. Besides statutory demands regarding masks, sanitizer dispensers, social distancing, clear signage, extra cleaning and a high degree of hygiene, H.C. Andersen’s House will also put a series of its own efforts into practice to ensure a comfortable and safe visit, including online booking of tickets, limitation on simultaneous guests and so forth. Keep an eye out for updates on the website, which will continuously be updated according to the current guidelines and the museum’s own safety initiatives.