H.C.ANDERSEN MUSEUM

The story to be communicated in a museum dedicated to H.C. Andersen should not only focus on the experience of his many works. It must also capture the unique depth and ambiguity found within his fairy tales. This depth reflects the author’s life and travels, while highlighting the blurred boundary between the worlds of fantasy and reality that surround us. The new museum interprets this ambiguity in H.C. Andersen’s work within architectural and landscaped expressions.

Architectural structure

The House of Fairy Tales consists of a series of circular shapes that intersect along a flowing path. They are organized without hierarchy or a central focal point, originating from the existing buildings surrounding H.C. Andersen’s birthplace and memorial hall. The curved lines of green hedges within the gardens reflect the underground exhibition spaces.

Intertwined spaces and the experience of dualism

The curves define the public gardens, their spaces, and paths above the ground. They meander and weave around each other, indoor spaces transform into outdoor areas, the parks above seamlessly leading into the underworld below. Within these intertwined spaces, visitors and users of the gardens find themselves in a world between inside and outside, where a green wall alternately appears and disappears. The experience throughout the museum and its gardens forms a cohesive narrative that reflects the essential themes of Andersen’s work. Dualism, the resolution of the boundary between reality and imagination, is explored through the ambiguity of the spatial sequences and compositions.

Within these intertwined spaces, visitors and users of the gardens will find themselves in a world between inside and outside, where a green wall alternately appears and then disappears. The experience throughout the museum and its gardens becomes a coherent narrative which reflects the essential themes of Andersen’s work. Dualism, the resolution of the boundary between reality and the imagination, is read through the ambiguity of the spatial sequences and compositions.

Modern interpretation of half-timbering

The new buildings above ground respond to the existing scale of H.C. Andersen’s birthplace and its surrounding historical context. Their facades are a modern interpretation of the traditional northern European style of half-timbered houses. Expressive wooden constructions of solid timber are enclosed in glass, creating a light and delicate appearance. The buildings appear as pavilions within the gardens.

Kengo Kuma and Associates, Cornelius Vöge, Masu Planning, and engineers Eduard Troelsgård won the invited competition in 2016. Cornelius Vöge performed design and ICT management up until the delivery of tender materials in multiple specialist contracts, including site supervision until the delivery of the concrete structures.

Literature:
A Guide to Danish Architecture, Akademisk Arkitektforening, 2023
50 Buildings – Danish Architecture 2016-2022, Arkitektens Forlag 2023
Arkitekten nr. 5, juni 2022, vol. 124

Awards:
Mies van der Rohe Award Nomination, 2023
Odense Municipality Architeural Award 2023
Odinprisen, Odense Byforening, 2022

Photographer: Adam Mørk

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