The shape of the vestibule is typical of its time and it is of a high architectural quality. Hospital activity on Svalbard has a long history under the direction of the mining companies concerned with the extraction of coal and in addition to Longyearbyen, there have been smaller hospitals in Kings Bay and Barentsburg. The history of Longyearbyen Hospital dates back to 1913, when a simple barracks accommodating 16 beds was built by the American mining company The Arctic Coal Company. In 1916, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS took over its running and ownership. The hospital barracks were improved and extended, and was one of the few buildings left standing after the destruction of the Second World War. There was a replacement in 1947. That was then destroyed by an avalanche in 1953 and replaced by a concrete building the following year. This remained in operation until 1991, when the current hospital was opened. Planning work for the new hospital was started in 1982 and the building programme was finally drafted in 1989.