Nordsjællands (New North Zealand) Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark

The four-storey 1,270,140 sq.ft facility with its sweeping curved geometry allows the hospital to function like a super-efficient mini city with its network of internal public walkways and service shortcuts that link the wards, diagnosis areas and treatment clinics.

Nature, daylight, fresh air and a calming ambience were key considerations in the vision for the ‘healing architecture’. The curved courtyard garden space and the roof garden present scenic surroundings for the frail, their families and hospital staff, and the wards are strategically arranged along the perimeter of large central garden so patients can feel connected to nature.

Façade contractor, Staticus, was appointed to deliver the engineering, production, and installation of the main building envelope spanning 20,000 sq.m, equating to approximately 2,020 aluminium-glass double-height (two storey) façade elements. To meet the fire and life safety façade requirements for protecting patients, staff and visitors, the Siderise RH/RV Rainscreen Cavity Barrier System was specified for the prefabricated unitised façade modules.

The timber façade elements further support the blend of architecture with nature, creating a warm and welcoming restorative ambience, far removed from the institutional feel of traditional hospitals. Over 14,000 sq.m of timber was used with vertically oriented open-joint cladding elements on one façade type, and wood lap sidings for the other.

Serving 310,000 inhabitants with 570 patient rooms, 20 medical specialties, 4,000 staff and capacity for 350,000 annual outpatient visits, the New North Zealand Hospital, Hillerød is one of four new Danish super hospitals that is setting new standards in the quality of healthcare design and healthcare delivery, whilst placing greater emphasis on social, economic, and environmental sustainability.