Riksen

The book discusses the significant changes and expansions at Rikshospitalet, part of a major restructuring of Oslo University Hospital. As of its publication, extensive construction is underway, with parts of the existing buildings demolished and functions temporarily relocated until the new hospital is completed in 2031. This marks 25 years since Rikshospitalet moved from Pilestredet to Gaustad, representing two distinct eras in its history.

In 2023, architect photographer Rasmus Hjortshøi was commissioned to capture the hospital’s state before the construction began. His photos, showing the wear and tear of 25 years of hospital life, form the core of the book, supplemented by short texts from architects, project managers, users, and artists. The book aims to provide an informal status report as Rikshospitalet enters a new era.

Rikshospitalet, established in the 1860s, moved to Gaustad in 2000 after winning an architectural competition in 1990. The new design focused on a humanistic approach, creating a hospital tailored to patients, relatives, and staff, with low-rising buildings, good visual contact with nature, and a unifying glass-covered street.

The hospital has continuously evolved with new and changing treatment methods. The current expansion is the largest in its history at Gaustad, significantly increasing the building mass, introducing higher buildings, a new entrance, and traffic patterns, and making substantial changes to the existing structure.

The book hopes to highlight the humanistic principles that shaped the new Rikshospitalet and ensure they are preserved and continued in the future. In an era of increasing demands for efficiency and standardization, the need to focus on the human scale is more important than ever.