NEW DANISH HOSPITALS
new hospital to replace the three hospitals in Helsingør, Hillerød, and Frederikssund. The hospital is shaped like a four-leaf clover, where
the main entrance is located between two of the clover leaves. The building has four floors and a basement. The varied treatment of the terrain means that the building in some places is perceived to have only two floors. Patients and relatives follow the building’s curvature and terrain towards the main entrance on the first floor, where there are outpatient clinics, day treatment, and a canteen. Emergency patients are received on the ground floor, where the operating theatre and intensive care unit are also located. The staff entrance is on the opposite side of the building. The soft clover shape, the human scale, and the warm materials – exemplified by the standing pine panels in the façades – contribute to the hospital’s trust-inspiring and welcoming design. The building has no backside, but appears equal from all directions. On the top two floors are the bedrooms – a total of
570. Almost all have balconies with views to nature or to the large roof garden. The inner parts of the building receive daylight via deep and generous backyard gardens. Thus, nature and daylight are well drawn into the hospital. The building is 1 km in circumference, and has a maximum extent of 310 m. From eye level, the large four- leaf clover shape is not dominant. On the other hand, airplane passengers on their way to Copenhagen Airport can enjoy a clear landmark, within an area set aside for the development of Hillerød, with housing, business, and recreational areas. The Danish health service is now being strengthened
in this part of the Capital Region of Denmark. There is no doubt that the new hospital will be of great importance for the development of the local community. A large and competent hospital provides important jobs for Hillerød municipality and the surrounding area.
My guide Mette Stokholm is head of design and function at the Capital Region of Denmark. She has been central to the project since 2011. Mette confirms that there was a sharp discussion about the location, but that Hillerød, as the largest municipality, centrally located in the new admission area for patients, was a natural and good choice.
Challenging the established health service Some of the background for the four-leaf clover can be found in a publication from the Royal Academy of Arts from 2023, written by former project director Henrik Schødts. When Swiss Herzog & de Meuron, together with Danish Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, formed a team for the assignment with an emphasis on expertise in behavioural and human sciences, it instantly set thoughts and dialogues in motion. Architects, anthropologists, and sociologists talked to doctors, nurses, and patients – and soon other leading professionals were involved. According to Schødts: “Hospitals today are some of the
Clockwise from top left: A concept aerial photo of New North Zealand Hospital; New North Zealand Hospital aerial photo; New North Zealand Hospital head of design, Mette Stokholm; red poppies at North Zealand Hospital.
Facts about: New North Zealand Hospital
n Client: Capital Region of Denmark. n Architects: Herzog & de Meuron, Basel Ltd, and Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter A/S.
n Landscape architect: Vogt Landschaftarchitecten Zürich and Henrik Jørgensen Landskab.
n Size: 123,000 m². n Catchment area: North Zealand with a population of 325,000. n It is expected that the new hospital will receive and treat around 400,000 patients annually in the hospital’s outpatient clinics and day wards, as well as receive 60,000 emergency patients.
May 2026 Health Estate Journal 61
Bård Rane
Herzog & deMeuron
Bård Rane Dragör Luftfoto
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