Denmark Unveils Plans for Revolutionary Neuroscience Center: Merging Psychiatry and Neuroscience in a Groundbreaking Facility

 

BIG, the architecture firm founded by Bjarke Ingels, has unveiled its designs for the New Center for Neuroscience and Psychiatry, set to be the first of its kind in the world. The facility, located at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, will bring together psychiatry and neuroscience in one building to promote ground-breaking science and treatments of physical and mental brain diseases, spinal cord and nervous systems. The design of the building replicates the gyrification of the human brain to utilize the limited site area most efficiently while creating synergies between the different disciplines within the hospital.

BIG’s proposal for the six-story neuroscience centre combines the efficiency of a double-loaded corridor building with the generosity and openness of a classic atrium typology. By folding the floor plan around an atrium, similar to the characteristic folds in the cerebral cortex, the design not only allows each floor to reach the necessary square footage within a limited area, it also creates a number of connections and smaller clusters with intimate workspaces, courtyards and views between each floor within the hospital.

The building’s natural materials, including wood and brick, will bring positive health benefits and a comforting atmosphere to the patients and guests, while the red concrete of the exterior will blend well with the existing brick buildings and bring warmth to the spaces, contrasting the usual clinical and sanitized white environment of hospitals. Furthermore, each department from neurology to nuclear medicine, headache clinic and psychiatry have its own distinct space and program functions. To avoid separation and fragmentation between the disciplines, BIG proposes to organize them by the functions they have in common, encouraging crossbreeding between the different research groups that can help fuel inspiration, innovation, and creativity, and future-proof the spaces for growth, reduction or replacement.

Patients and guests will access the building through a generous reception area, into the large open atrium at the centre of the building which contains an experience centre – an interactive public exhibition and presentation area where the visitors can learn about the hospital’s latest research and findings. The visitors can head directly to one of the clinics upstairs or enjoy the café and a public green courtyard at ground level.

All office areas in the building are planned to be naturally ventilated, and every floor has access to an outdoor terrace. A stretched metal window mesh prevents all workspaces from being affected by glare or direct sunlight, filtering the light to provide each office, laboratory, or examination room with pleasant natural illumination. The project aims for a DGBN Gold sustainability certification for hospitals in Denmark.

The New Center for Neuroscience and Psychiatry in Aarhus seeks to bridge the research and treatment of physical and psychological brain conditions and destigmatize psychological disorders. Historically, hospitals have divided knowledge and expertise into different specialities and departments. DNC seeks to gather all current and future knowledge under one roof to create synergies between different expertise areas and a more holistic approach to understanding and curing brain disorders.

In conclusion, the New Center for Neuroscience and Psychiatry in Aarhus is a ground-breaking project that will combine groundbreaking science and treatments of physical and mental brain diseases, spinal cord, and nervous systems. The design of the building replicates the gyrification of the human brain to utilize the limited site area most efficiently while creating synergies between the different disciplines within the hospital. The building’s natural materials will bring positive health benefits and a comforting atmosphere to the patients and guests, while the design will encourage crossbreeding between different research groups that can help.

 

Cover image: Image by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.

Press Release.