NEW DANISH HOSPITALS
New Danish hospitals: vision and inspiration
Towards the end of last year, Bård Rane, a member of the National Association of Norwegian Architects (MNAL) and former head of design and function for the New National University Hospital of Norway and The University Clinic of Akershus, Norway, visited two brand new Danish hospitals, both of which are currently under construction and expected to open in 2027.
The Danes will complete two sensational and interesting hospitals during 2027: Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital and The New Hospital North Zealand in Hillerød, both in the Capital Health Region of Denmark. Like a roller coaster with an undulating red façade in bent aluminium plates, Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital sticks out among the angular and grey buildings of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, out in a field a few km further north, a large four-leaf clover – The New Hospital North Zealand – has landed like a spaceship from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital, concept aerial photo.
Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital More than 10 years ago, the management of the Capital Health Region of Denmark was able to conclude that the professionalism, research, and treatment at Rigshospitalet’s Centre for Children, Adolescents and Pregnant Women were world-class. But the physical framework was the opposite. Ten clinics, four centres, ten interdisciplinary units, and five knowledge centres were spread over nine different buildings. Patients and staff tried to create logical patient pathways and safety in run-down environments – hopelessly inefficient in terms of technology and logistics. Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital is the result of a partnership
between the Capital Health Region of Denmark, Rigshospitalet and the Ole Kirk’s Foundation, with a
total budget of DKK 4.5bn (€0.6bn), of which the Ole Kirk Foundation is donating close to DKK 1bn. Of the donation, DKK 85m is earmarked to improve the hospital experience. To ensure good hospital experiences, patients, relatives,
and staff have been continuously involved in the design of the building, testing patient pathways, interior design, and everyday situations. Pernille Birkel Fagerström, architect, construction economist, and head of commercial & health at Arkitema in Copenhagen, welcomes me for an inspection. She has been involved since the start in 2016, when her office, together with the architects from 3XN and Niras, beat five other teams in the international architectural competition. Construction work started in 2020 and the architects and the rest of the design team have their daily workplace at the construction site, together with contractors and construction management. Fagerström explains the idea, vision, and principles
that formed the basis for the project: “Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital will be a building that is clear and easy to understand, easy to navigate. The architecture, technology, materials, and colours tell you what you should and can do. The plan is like two children’s hands with short fingers – it provides a good overview, plenty of light, and a view of the surroundings,” she says, as we make our way up the inviting spiral staircase from the vestibule. “The art and colours also contribute
to the identity of the areas, so you can ‘read’ the building and orient yourself well – where you are and where you are going. Being able to find your way around without excessive signage means that the building supports the feeling of security and control over one’s own situation,” says Fagerström. Large-scale, building-integrated
artworks created by four internationally renowned artists are planned. The art should be a source of joy, curiosity, and distraction for the more than 2,000 people who will travel daily in the hospital – patients, relatives, and staff. During the inspection, there is a
buzz of activity, where craftsmen and construction managers move around like in a beehive. Before occupancy in 2027, the entire building, with advanced technical facilities and equipment, will
58 Health Estate Journal May 2026
Capitol Region of Denmark
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
