Haukeland Children’s and Youth Hospital

The new Center for Children, Youth, and Psychosomatic Medicine in Bergen is situated on Haukelandsbakken – spectacularly positioned between the mountain and the city, overlooking Bergen’s urban landscape. The outdoor areas are designed to anchor the hospital in the surrounding terrain while at the same time integrating the principles of healing architecture that form the foundation of the project’s approach.

The landscape strategy is derived from the dramatic terrain and deliberately works with the contrast between the heavy – the mountain – and the light – the buildings – and the grown nature. Green, lush wedges run like landscape ribbons through the complex, drawing the spatial and sensory qualities of nature deep into the buildings. The terraced outdoor areas anchor the hospital in the slope and create a variety of spaces for gathering and retreat.

The continuous garden spaces are organized around three landscape themes – Forest, Marsh, and Mountain – which are staged through differentiated planting with a focus on both aesthetics and biodiversity. The outdoor environments support recreation, calm, and social interaction, and are designed as a shared framework for children, young people, patients, relatives, and staff alike.

The hospital is conceived as both a temporary home and a workplace – and the landscape as a caring space that accommodates community, contemplation, and healing.

‍