In September 2011, Central Denmark Region declared CuraVita, and thus Arkitema, winner of the competition for the new super hospital in Gødstrup, north of Herning. With a construction cost of four billion Danish crowns, DNV-Gødstrup becomes one of Denmark’s largest new constructions in healthcare and thus sets the standard for future Danish
hospital construction.
Research shows that close contact with nature helps facilitate patient recovery and staff well-being. Therefore, CuraVita has integrated its design with the West Jutland heath, the inspiration for the proposal’s uniqueness and sense-filled design, which uses materials that divert the mind from the traditional clinical hospital to one characterized by a safe and homey atmosphere.
Contact with the expansive Jutland horizon has resulted in a clear architectural concept. As a natural extension of the
landscape’s horizontal lines, the winning proposal is rooted in an extended base, which includes outpatient clinics and
sections for diagnostic imaging, surgery and offices, topped by lighter horizontal slices containing the wards, the combination of which draws attention up toward the blue sky over Herning.
To ensure efficient workflow, the winning entry creates close contact between all departments and specialties. This
minimizes the transport time for the patient to get to, for example, diagnostic imaging and outpatient treatment; but
more importantly, this allows for the specialist to come to the patient, rather than vice versa. By concentrating transport routes, the winning entry creates a hospital that makes the patient the central player, and proximity to the specialised areas helps ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis.