The original hospital building spreading across 300,000 m2 was completed in 1976 and is characterised by a strict and simple architectural design based on four vertical centres and two horizontal corridors connecting the outpatient area to four ward buildings. Below the parking basement provides access to the building via four entrances each marked with a distinctive colour. The idea behind the low building volumes was to secure easy access and collaboration between the hospital's different departments. Access to plenty of daylight and green recreational gardens to support human well-being and speedy recovery was part of the thoughts that went into the original building design.
New Hvidovre Hospital
A Commitment to Well-Being and Healing
Hospital architecture has continually adapted to societal changes and evolving priorities. Since the early 2000s, there has been a significant shift from focusing solely on functional efficiency to prioritising patient-centred care and sustainability. By the 2010s, designs began to emphasise creating healing environments that reduce stress and promote well-being, incorporating natural light, greenery, and privacy. This approach balances efficiency with empathy.
The expansion of Hvidovre Hospital continues the original building’s focus on human well-being and healing, providing access to light, air, and green spaces. Patient and visitor experiences are central, whether for a short visit or an extended stay. The physical environment is designed to be secure, navigable, and welcoming, with a strong focus on intuitive wayfinding and creating a calming atmosphere in critical situations.
All patient rooms have views of green outdoor areas and integrated courtyards. Wood-lined windows provide warmth and contribute to a healthy indoor environment, while integrated seating invites relaxation. In the neonatal department, now relocated to the new building, rooms include adjacent spaces, allowing both parents to stay with their child 24/7.
New Hvidovre Hospital is designed to be both functional and human-centred, making patients feel safe, informed, and empowered in their treatment. It connects with the outside world while offering a secure, logical, and meaningful environment—a complex ecosystem that supports world-class healthcare.
- Location:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Programme:
- Emergency ward, paediatrics ward, obstetrics ward, cardiology departments
- Size:
- 30,560 m2
- Status:
- Completed 2024
- Client:
- The Capital Region of Denmark
- Commission:
- 1st prize in restricted competition
- Collaborators:
- LINK Arkitektur
- Landscape Architect:
- Kragh & Berglund, Urban Design
- Engineer:
- Søren Jensen Consulting Engineers
- Photos:
- Jack Dempster, DronePixels, Kragh & Berglund
Building on the concept of a health-promoting environment,
New Hvidovre Hospital is a 30,000 m2 extension of Hvidovre Hospital, located west of the existing hospital complex. Spreading across four floors, the extension comprises an emergency ward, a paediatrics and obstetrics ward and cardiology departments.
Thus, special attention has been paid to creating an architectural dialogue between the existing hospital and the new extension. The hospital extension adjusts to the 1970s complex by adopting and continuing the building principles. The architectural idea was to develop the concrete base into a flexible and respectful new interpretation while maintaining the orthogonal geometry.
The overall impression becomes a flexible, efficient, and expressive building complex, which is also robust in relation to future changes.
The design of New Hvidovre Hospital is guided by the principles of clarity, flexibility, respect, green garden spaces, and spatial variation. The newly created green garden spaces serve as central focal points in the extension, connecting all floors and allowing natural light to reach the lowest level, where the parking area and new main entrance are located.
Since most visitors arrive at the hospital by car, the main entrance is positioned at the same level as the parking area, allowing visitors to ascend through the building from below.
The bed sections are placed atop the concrete base as a sculptural structure, winding around the new green garden spaces. Each bed ward is sized according to the specific needs of the ward it serves, while still contributing to a cohesive sculptural composition. This design also ensures quick and easy access between the various wards.
A unique feature of the design is the new arrival platform, which gently slopes towards the hospital and leads below the building. Here, green garden spaces serve as way-finding elements, bringing natural light to the parking level. The garden spaces also function as reception areas for the new main entrance and the entrance to the emergency ward. Positioning the main entrance at the same level as the parking area is an innovative response to the fact that most visitors arrive by car. This design choice provides visitors with protection from the Danish weather, as well as easy, direct access and a clear overview.
People encounter the healthcare system when they are at their most vulnerable, making it essential to provide a comforting and calming environment for treatments, consultations, and recovery. This is crucial not only for the patient's experience during hospitalisation but also for the staff who work in these buildings day and night.
Building on the concept of a health-promoting environment, Hvidovre Hospital has been designed to enhance human well-being and alleviate the stress and anxiety often associated with being in a hospital. While the overall design continues the original architectural style, the materials used in the extension's interior have been carefully selected to further support comfort and a healthy indoor environment. Art has been integrated throughout the building, in the arrival area as well as at the neonatal and children's wards.
The large art piece spreading across all floors in the foyer is repeated on the concrete surface outside, creating a cohesive experience and exchange between the interior and exterior spaces at the hospital.
From the moment you arrive at the hospital, the architecture is thoughtfully designed to create a calm and welcoming atmosphere, making it easy to navigate.
The combination of natural light, fresh air, and carefully chosen colours, along with clear signage, ensures an intuitive sense of direction and wayfinding. This helps to instil a sense of calm and reassurance in both patients and their families, while also creating a positive working environment for the hospital's many staff members.
Both in the hospital wards and the corridors, the aluminium windows are complemented by timber window reveals, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere and serving as seating for patients and visitors. At the neonatal ward, an extra bed in the adjacent room allows both parents to stay with their child 24/7.
All patient rooms and common areas enjoy views of greenery and daylight.
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Outside, the landscape consists of 15 inner courtyards of different sizes and characteristics with various types of plants. The lowered gardens offer patients, visitors, and staff a calm space for privacy and contemplation in an open landscape, while the green roofs provide calming views from the bed wards.
The New Hvidovre Hospital aims to reintroduce the original ideas of healing hospital architecture. A key principle here is that patients recover more quickly when in recreational surroundings – and the rooftop gardens play a central role in this. Nature, light, and air have been crucial design parameters in the development of the new facilities, both inside and out. For example, the use of wood, which is incorporated into all window openings, adds an element of warmth and homeliness.
“The proposal demonstrates humility towards the particular cultural heritage of this hospital and is also an innovative example of the difficult architectural and functional task it is to extend one of our country’s finest hospitals.”