Sygehus Nord

Transforming the former Sygehus Nord hospital grounds into a new, mixed-use neighborhood in the heart of Aalborg.

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Karsten Thorlund

Head of SLA Aarhus, Partner, Architect MAA

Location

Aalborg, Denmark

Size

36,000 m2

Year

2022 — 2030

Client

Nordud A/S and The City of Aalborg

Role

Lead Masterplanner & Landscape Architect

Partners & Collaborators

Transform, Friis & Moltke, Arkitekt Bertelsen, Sweco

SLA is leading the combined planning and design project to transform the former Sygehus Nord hospital grounds into a new, mixed-use neighborhood in the heart of Aalborg.

The 1 billion DKK transformation of Sygehus Nord will open up the 36,000 m2 former hospital grounds to the surrounding city and create a ‘neighborhood for all life’ – for residents, neighbors, citizens, and the local nature, plants, and wildlife.

Central in the masterplan is to build upon and strengthen the area’s existing identity and qualities to create an optimal framework for a bustling, sensuous and social everyday life.

To achieve this, we preserve, transform and upcycle most of the existing buildings while adding new and varied housing, cafes, public spaces and pocket parks that strengthen and add to the public life that is already present.

Sygehus Nord Most existing buildings are preserved and transformed to maximize cultural history and identity and minimize resource waste.
Sygehus Nord Masterplan

As the green heart of the neighborhood, we add a new 5,000 m2 People’s Park that will add a host of green, social, and natural amenities to the area while also acting as the natural pendant to Reberbansgade’s more urban character.

Sygehus Nord Public spaces and pocket parks draws the nature all the way into the neighborhood.
Sygehus Nord The large People's Park is the heart and backbone of the new neighborhood.

“Team SLA’s masterplan is spot on with regards to urban cohesion, climate, and sustainability. The team preserves more buildings and structures than we had initially thought possible which hugely minimizes resource waste.”

— Kim Jacobsen, CEO, Nordud A/S

To ensure the new SYGEHUS NORD neighborhood’s natural integration in Aalborg’s urban fabric, we cut a large Urban Gateway into the site’s landmark – the 14-storey hospital high-rise building – which creates a new natural flow into the area and in a spectacular way updates the building into a new Aalborg icon.

The People’s Park will stretch underneath the railroad tracks and connect the area to the school, to the cathedral, to the KUNSTEN art museum and to central Aalborg’s green network.

Sygehus Nord The People’s Park stretches underneath the railroad tracks and connects the neighborhood to central Aalborg.
Sygehus Nord A new gateway into the neighborhood is cut through the 14-story hospital highrise to create a new architectural landmark for Aalborg.

Construction of the SYGEHUS NORD grounds is expected to start once Aalborg Hospital moves out of the buildings which is scheduled to take place in 2026.