Knowledge Centre at St. Olav’s Hospital | Nordic — Office of Architecture

The Knowledge Centre at St. Olav’s Hospital in Trondheim, designed by architect practices Nordic and Ratio, completes the overall development that has been on-going since the design competition for the hospital grounds in 1995. The Centre compliments the major urban planning strategy and relates perfectly to other completed surrounding hospital buildings through bridges and culvert connections. Designed with a strong emphasis on functionality and usability, the Knowledge Centre provides facilities for both St. Olav’s Hospital and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The building includes hospital services such as outpatient skin clinic, treatment for complex disorders, laboratories, offices, isolated bedposts and E5 ward, as well as university facilities like library, study rooms, auditoriums and canteen. The Centre is equipped with state of the art medical and laboratory equipment. «The Patient in Focus» has been the guideline for all design decisions throughout the project. A highly functional plan provides easy orientation in circulation spaces as well as short distances. Extensive use of natural materials combined with art, bright colours, graphics and plants makes both the inside and outside a “non-institutional” and stimulating environment for healthy recovery and learning. The building’s palette incorporates unconventional interior materials for hospital buildings, such as natural stone, wood and rough metals. Furniture and fixtures portray a youthful, robust and colourful design. To give patient rooms an element of warmth and poetry, the walls are lined with wallpapers designed by various artists, and the tall windows provide views to the sky and the town square. As the first hospital building in Northern Europe, the Knowledge Centre is designed and built to passive house standards. Patterned shading screens covering the front facade paired with cooling and electric lighting controls inside act dynamically with sun and daylight, and all building materials are sustainable and healthy.