Banegårdspladsen & The Trinity Sculpture, Odense

A city gateway shaped by railways and stories

Banegårdspladsen is Odense’s railway square, the urban forecourt where streets, buses, bikes and trains all flow together. As you step out of the station, this is the first open space you encounter, framed by transport buildings, shops and the steady rhythm of people arriving and departing. It feels practical at first glance, yet there is a deliberate sense of openness here: broad paving, clear sightlines and room to pause before you dive into the city. The square has grown up around Odense’s role as a rail hub for Funen, and its character is still shaped by movement. Bicycles glide past in dense streams, buses pull in and out, and there is a constant low murmur of rolling suitcases, conversations and announcements drifting from the station. Despite the bustle, patches of seating and low planting offer small islands where you can pause and orient yourself.

The Trinity: a spiralling tribute to Hans Christian Andersen

Rising eight metres above the paving, The Trinity sculpture by Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard pulls the square firmly into Odense’s fairy‑tale universe. At a distance you notice a tall, twisting column of bronze figures; up close you can trace three intertwined characters spiralling upward, an expressive portrait of Hans Christian Andersen and his many inner contradictions. The sculpture is based on a figure Andersen himself sketched in the 1850s, reimagined here in monumental form. Around the base, the plinth breaks into stair‑like levels that rise and fall in different directions. On these surfaces and along the column you find small scenes and figures from Andersen’s tales: familiar characters, hints of journeys, shadows and companions from his stories. The work rewards slow looking; new details surface as you circle it from different angles, each side suggesting a different mood or narrative.

Reading the square as an open-air gallery

Although Banegårdspladsen functions first as a transport space, it is also part of Odense’s wider network of public art. The Trinity stands as a strong sculptural anchor, but the square’s value lies in how it frames the work. Paving lines subtly guide your gaze towards the sculpture, while the open sky above it becomes part of the composition, changing with light, clouds and time of day. During the day, the bronze catches shifting sunlight, from cool morning glints to warm late‑afternoon tones. In the darker months, artificial lighting picks out edges and faces, giving the figures a more dramatic, almost theatrical presence. The constant flow of people moving around the sculpture becomes an ever‑changing backdrop, turning the square into a living stage where art and everyday life share the same setting.

Everyday rhythms and short but vivid visits

Most encounters with Banegårdspladsen are brief: a few minutes between trains, a quick shortcut across the square, a meeting point before exploring Odense. Yet those short pauses can be surprisingly rich. You can sit for a moment to watch commuters weave around the sculpture, children darting up onto the steps of the plinth, or cyclists threading through the space with casual ease. If you have a little more time, the square can serve as a gentle introduction to Odense’s fascination with Andersen. From here, you are only a walk away from fairy‑tale sculptures scattered through the city and the dedicated museum worlds built around his life and work. Banegårdspladsen, with The Trinity at its heart, is like a prologue: a compact scene that hints at deeper stories waiting just beyond the station.

Seasonal moods at the station forecourt

The feel of Banegårdspladsen shifts noticeably with the seasons. In winter, cold air and early dusk give the square a crisp, cinematic quality, with warm light spilling from the station and steam rising from coffee cups on nearby benches. On bright summer days, the space opens up, its pale paving and bronze tones softened by sun and the brighter colours of passing cyclists and travellers. Rain turns the ground reflective, doubling the sculpture in shiny puddles and adding a gentle soundtrack of drops. Whatever the weather, the square remains an outdoor room where Odense’s daily life passes in front of a single, striking artwork.