Lapland Central Hospital Extension – Rovaniemi, Finland
Title
Lapland Central Hospital Extension – Rovaniemi, Finland
Website Source
Designed by
Verstas Architects
Image Credit
© Niclas Mäkelä
Project Description
Project description provided by Verstas Architects - Lapland Central hospital extension turns the 1980's hospital into a patient-centered campus
that supports active rehabilitation and healing. The new humanely efficient hospital is a public
building integrated into the living city, moving away from the concept of an isolated institution.
Originally completed in the 1980s, the Lapland Central Hospital was designed by one of
Finland's most renowned hospital architects, Reino Koivula. The extensions double the current
premises of the hospital, including e.g. emergency outpatient clinic, observation ward,
operation rooms, psychiatric wards and facilities for several supporting functions. The
extensions create conditions for extensive synergy of operations, transforming the whole
hospital campus into a more integrated and efficient whole.
The new section of the hot hospital and parking building are positioned to the east of the
existing hospital. Wooden surfaces under the entrance canopy and in the interior create a warm
and inviting atmosphere. The psychiatric hospital is located west of the central hospital
building. Its patient wards and outdoor yard are situated next to a small forest, bringing nature
into the treatment process. The patient is at the center, with good customer experience, safety,
effective treatment, and staff well-being as key goals.
The architecture of the new buildings is consistent and recognizable. The primary facade
material for the psychiatric hospital is wood with a translucent finish, while the facades of the
hot hospital feature white concrete and aluminum. Vertical lamellas and floor-level overhangs
provide weather protection and reduce the need for mechanical cooling. The modular facade
solution allows for the flexible placement of spaces of various sizes along the facade, thereby
supporting the adaptability of the interior.
The revised layout of the hospital campus is based on creating a new east-west oriented
internal connection, which serves as the spatial and functional unifying backbone of the plan.
The architecture conveys humaneness and patient-centered care, while evoking images of
Lapland's nature. Materials, spatial solutions, and natural light create a safe, healing
environment that serves both patients' effective treatment and well-being of the staff. Public
artworks implemented on the hospital campus enliven the surroundings and promote active
rehabilitation.
