Designed by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, the museum is a sensory playground for adults and children alike. A striking mix of old and new, the building artfully combines a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, stretching over 12500 square metres. Two thirds of the museum is located underground, whisking visitors deeper into Andersen’s creative universe, taking them on a physical journey through magical gardens and surprising nooks. Every detail has been carefully considered to enhance the experience and set off the visitors’ imagination.
For the interior designers at Ramsing & Co, a key priority was selecting high quality Scandinavian furnishings that do not compromise on form or function. The Grand Prix™ chair by Arne Jacobsen was chosen for the foyer and memorial hall. The celebrated chair, featured in wood with a graphic edge and tubular steel legs fits seamlessly into the wooden setting and matches H.C. Andersen's unique fairytale universe.
The Grand Prix chair was first introduced at the Designers’ Spring Exhibition at the Danish Museum of Art & Design in 1957. Later that year, the chair was displayed at the Triennale in Milan where it received the Grand Prix, the finest distinction of the exhibition.