NEW DANISH HOSPITALS
curved aluminium panels, in a wavy shape and with large windows from floor to ceiling: “a friendly and confidence- inspiring expression.”
Flexibility’s worst enemy In recent decades, fewer and fewer patients have needed hospitalisation. More patients are being treated on an outpatient basis, receiving medical assistance for self-help and contact with the hospital so that they can stay at home to a greater extent. The enormous costs in the healthcare system require flexible and adaptable buildings to stay efficient and good. Marte Loen of LINK architects, architect for the new
Rikshospitalet in Oslo, believes there is a lot to learn from the Danish projects. “I find that more space is set aside for family and
Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital architect Pernille B Fagerström.
a long time, she has been involved in the work to make better arrangements for children in Norwegian hospitals. She is impressed by the large-scale investment being made at Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital. “It’s inspiring to see what focus they have on play, at
all levels, and how the needs of children and families are taken seriously. It is so important that we do what we can to avoid children having traumatic experiences in hospitals,” says Neset. “Children are often treated in many places around
hospitals, not just in paediatric wards. Design of the physical surroundings is only one of many important measures, but unfortunately the physical surroundings are often left to chance. I hope research-based knowledge about how important this is means that the best interests of children are prioritised in our hospitals,” she says.
Transparency and overview Marianne Hoffmann, a former head nurse with more than 40 years of work at Rigshospitalet, joins me on the tour when I visit Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital. She particularly likes the layout of the bedrooms, shaped like fingers on a hand, and the overview this grip creates. “As a patient, you want to know that you are being monitored, looked after, able to get in touch, so that you can be helped quickly if you need it. The fingers are not long – only three rooms on each side of the corridor. With six rooms in each finger, there will be 24 beds in each hand – a good and clear solution,” says Hoffmann. The contact between the on-call room and the patient is deliberately strengthened with glass in the wall between the bedroom and the corridor, this allows for good contact, even with the door closed. “This is a new quality compared to older parts of Rigshospitalet,” Hoffmann points out. She also likes the red façade with
children than has been usual in Norwegian hospital projects,” he says. “There is a clear self-confidence in the Danish projects, where the clients take active ownership of both design principles and standardisation. This is combined with great ambitions to create good reference projects, which contributes to high quality in both the process and the result.” Loen believes that the Danes’ standardisation has been carried out successfully, and that the participatory processes prioritise flexible, standardised floor plans rather than tailor-made ones, in response to functional needs. A generosity in the use of space in certain rooms and functions can provide the necessary spaciousness to be able to work efficiently. Spacious areas provide a good starting point for coping with changes, without having to make costly interventions or expansions of rooms and departments. Scarce space can be the worst enemy of flexibility. Nevertheless, simplification and reduction of areas have been necessary. It is a matter of tough priorities, where the areas for treatment are prioritised.
The five regions in Denmark are building a number of new hospitals. The regions were formed as part of a major health reform in 2007 and have since played an important role in the organisation of the Danish health service.
60 Health Estate Journal May 2026
Life must be lived – even when we are sick The Danes have a long tradition of close cooperation between business and the health service. Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital has an ambition to be a melting pot for new ideas, innovation projects, research, education, and dissemination, so that business and hospitals can meet and develop new solutions. Lars Hyldgaard Olesen, project manager at Ole Kirk’s Foundation, points out that the combination of Rigshospitalet’s healthcare expertise combined with the Capital Region of Denmark’s political will and knowledge of advanced construction, has been a major stimulus for the participation in the project. “For Ole Kirk’s Foundation, this project is not just about supporting the construction of a new hospital, but about helping to develop new ways of thinking about health, care, and learning. We want to show how play, creativity, and architecture can create security, curiosity, and hope – even when life is difficult. Together with the Capital Region and Rigshospitalet, we have been given a unique opportunity to unite public and private knowledge in a way that creates lasting value for children, young people, and families. We hope the experiences can inspire beyond Denmark’s borders,” he says. Cooperation between the public and private sectors is not just about financing, but about real partnerships where the meeting of private and public expertise and financing can lead to good solutions for both buildings and businesses. Life must be lived – even when we are sick.
New North Zealand Hospital Half an hour by car, north of Copenhagen in Hillerød municipality, the Capital Region of Denmark is building a
Bård Rane
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