H.C. Andersen’s House opens on June 30th 2021

In Odense, everyone is working at full speed to prepare for the opening of the ambitious H.C. Andersen’s House. This will make it possible to present the many Danes, who are expected to go on vacation in their own country this summer, with a unique experience. H.C. Andersen’s House will be ready for a so-called soft opening on June 30^th 2021.

The new H.C. Andersen’s House in Odense is among the largest and most ambitious museum projects in recent times, made possible through substantial support from the A.P. Møller Foundation and contributions from Nordea-fonden, the Augustinus Foundation, Knud Højgaards Fond, the City of Odense and Odense City Museums. Chairman of the A.P. Møller Foundation, Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, explains:

“H.C. Andersen has to be our greatest poet. He captivates children and adults alike with his magical stories, which people all over the world can see themselves in – to this day. It is our hope that we, with the new museum, are approaching the core of H.C. Andersen’s universe.”

For the past many months, exhibition designers, curators, artists, craftsmen and developers have worked non-stop on the building as well as the exhibition, and H.C. Andersen’s House will finally be revealed at a so-called soft opening on June 30^th.

“It represents great significance and a vast amount of joy for Odense that we are opening up an attraction that will have such a great draw just in time for the start of the summer vacation period. Both because it will attract a whole lot of visitors – and we need that – but also because H.C. Andersen plays such a significant part in the shared identity of the people of Odense. With the museum, it will be possible to explore his authorship and fairytales in new ways, which will add to the sense of community in the city. This is why it is great news in every possible way that the doors will already open up by the end of June,” says the Mayor of Odense, Peter Rahbek Juel of the Social Democractic Party.

Council member for City and Culture, Christoffer Lilleholt of the Liberal Party, is also looking forward to the museum opening its doors:

“I am incredibly excited to experience the new museum. First of all, it is a unique museum for a marvelous poet, and, second of all, we are thirsty for cultural experiences after a long and hard lockdown. It will be a great day for the city and for H.C. Andersen.”

When the museum opens its doors to the public after the official opening on June 30^th, it will not be the entire museum experience that visitors will be presented with, but rather a kind of preview, says Torben Grøngaard Jeppesen, the head of Odense City Museums:

“The COVID lockdown has, unsurprisingly, presented us with some challenges along the way, and this means that there will be parts of the museum that will not be totally ready the day we open it. Add to this that, with a construction and exhibition design of this caliber, there will inevitably be some aspects of starting trouble, for instance in terms of the engineering, which has to be tested and finetuned. When we nevertheless prioritize a soft opening, followed by a gradually increased opening over the summer, it is because we wish to offer outstanding magical and artistic experiences for the many people that will be spending their summer vacation here in Denmark.”

At the launch of H.C. Andersen’s House, all current guidelines from the health authorities will of course be adhered to. Online time-specific tickets will ensure plenty of space in safe surroundings for everyone experiencing the museum. Find the updated guidelines to your visit at www.hcandersenshus.dk.

Follow the development of the new museum on Instagram via @hcandersensodense and Facebook via @hcandersenmuseum

About H.C. Andersen’s House
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.

The museum site covers an area of 5,600 square meters, out of which two thirds will be underground, flowing into a magical children’s universe. The building intertwines with a labyrinthine magic garden. Add to this a wide array of the newest technologies and set design concepts, and together, they will bring Andersen’s magical universe to life.