Client: TYKS
Year: 2012-2022
A new women’s and children’s hospital with a total size of 55,000 gross square metres has been built in conjunction with the University Hospital of the City of Turku. The building, which is perched above train tracks and the motorway, contains a children’s and youth emergency ward, operating rooms, recovery ward for surgical procedures, intensive care unit for children, imaging facilities, neonatal intensive care unit, and facilities for other polyclinical procedures.
The overarching theme of the hospital is Turku’s archipelago. The Lighthouse Hospital is like an island, upon the rocky shores of which rises a lighthouse that guides wanderers to safety. The concept of the island, archipelago, and the lighthouse is executed throughout the various buildings: the engine room on the roof shines bright in the darkness, the interior decoration of the lobbies suggest archipelago formations, and the artwork is a continuation of the narrative. Even the icefloe-shaped parking building is a part of the ensemble.
The Lighthouse Hospital commenced operations in February 2022 after ten years of design work and almost seven years of construction. The cost of construction totalled over 180 million Euros.
Joint venture: Architect Group Reino Koivula, and Schauman Architects.
Lead designer: Susanna Kalkkinen
Façade and urban design: Mikko Sinervo
Functional design: Sasu Hälikkä, Tuomas Mikkola, Doris Välikangas, Kati Kleimola, and Mikko Sinervo
Building narrative: Mikko Sinervo, Riitta Pikkuhookana, and Matti Tainio
Graphic design on walls, suspended ceilings, and floors: Mikko Sinervo
Interior design: Riitta Pikkuhookana
Lobby design: Mikko Sinervo and Riitta Pikkuhookana
Photos by Wellu Hämäläinen