STATUS
IN DESIGN
Sankt Lukas Hospice and Lukashuset
HELLERUP, DENMARKCLIENT
Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond
TYPOLOGY
Health
SIZE M2/FT2
8,500 / 91,500
SHARE
The new Sankt Lukas Hospice and Lukashuset is conceived as a village surrounded by nature, rooted in the history of the Sankt Lukas Foundation which dates back to the 1930s.
The new 8,500 m2 palliative care center will house an outreach hospice team, Denmark’s first day hospice, and units for children, youth, and adults. With plans to care for approximately 2,100 patients annually, the two new building structures will more than triple the current capacity, fostering an environment guided by three core principles – safety and a sense of home, solitude and togetherness, arrival and farewell.
Defined by simplicity and scale, the center will harmoniously blend with the surrounding historic structures, featuring pitched roofs and yellow bricks repurposed from the original on-site buildings. The buildings will be surrounded by serene gardens and sensory spaces, extending the interior spaces outdoors to create a healing connection to nature.
SURROUNDED BY GREENERY
— All patient rooms have direct access to a private terrace and views over the surrounding green garden. The rooms located on the ground floor have access to a courtyard from the corridors.
HEART SPACES
— The centrally placed heart spaces extend out into a courtyard. The circulation paths are designed as interconnected loops surrounding the courtyards to avoid dead ends and provide a sense of security and clear wayfinding.
SENSORY GARDENS
— The buildings are surrounded by sensory gardens designed with recognizable natural landscapes and planted with native species.
"A hospice provides the framework for the final moments of a person’s life. It becomes our world before we depart. We have sought to create a peaceful and poetic environment, where one can find tranquility and an opportunity to immerse oneself in the world around us. Nature. The weather. The changing of the seasons. The falling leaves. The budding of trees. The blossoming of the meadow. We have chosen living materials with organic textures that age beautifully over time. The grain in the wood. The burnt clay. Instead of the linear corridors of hospitals, we have created an environment of smaller buildings arranged around protected natural gardens. The result is a kind of condensed village for life’s final days. The farewell garden is a building structure where the roof opens fully towards the sky. A space that provides room for the final journey."
Inside, guests are welcomed by an open foyer with a view of lush courtyard gardens. The heart spaces, centrally located in both buildings, provide gathering rooms for community and well-being. In Lukashuset, family rooms offer areas for both privacy and togetherness, along with activity spaces that support play and reflection. Meanwhile, the adult hospice includes larger common areas for activities and meetings.
"The new Sankt Lukas Hospice and Lukashuset have been created with care as the guiding principle - for both people and nature. By repurposing bricks from the existing buildings and drawing inspiration from the site’s traditional craftsmanship, the project is deeply rooted in its environment. The bright, open spaces are designed to foster a sense of peace and presence, where large windows bring nature into the interior. This close connection between indoors and outdoors allows nature and architecture to frame moments of grief, healing, and reflection on life and death."
The surrounding landscape acts as a buffer to the life of the city while extending the natural character of the existing park. Planned as a series of interconnected environments, it includes open lawns, intimate gardens, a sensory garden, and winding paths through trees and plantings. Specific areas feature a wild grass meadow, seasonal flowering plants, and gardens inspired by Danish natural landscapes. A rainwater pond encourages biodiversity by attracting native flora and fauna, while benches and small niches along the pathways provide spaces for rest and reflection for patients, relatives, and staff.
At the western end of Sankt Lukas Hospice, a farewell garden is placed within a woodland-inspired atrium, providing a peaceful space for final moments. With an open view of the sky, the garden offers a symbolic connection to the infinite.
Bjarke Ingels David Zahle Adrianna Karnaszewska Lisbet Fritze Trentemøller Louise Mould Nanna Gyldholm Møller Roberto Fabbri Ulla Hornsyld Elia Tonutti Paola Yepes Bocanegra Lucas Malthe Mikkelsen Ioannis Mathioudakis Iván Ares Igrexas William Emil George Abdou Matthew Goodwill Victor-Antoine Delorme Aanchal Ashok Tejwani Claudia Jaegerman Gaspard Del Marmol
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