Åsgård Psychiatric Hospital was the first governmental, centralized and regional institution of its kind to be built in Norway since 1926 and it was designated to serve the counties of Troms and Finnmark. Part of the planning process was a competition between seven leading Norwegian architectural practices working within the hospital sector. In 1954 the proposal submitted by Ketil Ugland and Hans P. Thorne (from Arendal) was chosen and the main principles of the winning project have to a great extent been carried out.

The hospital is situated at the west side of the island Tromsøya with views over the sound Sandnessundet and the mountains at Kvaløya. The main components of the long, stretched out hospital complex are seven pavilions with facilities for patients and separate buildings for administration as well as technical services, all connected by long one-storey corridors. Staff housing is situated to the east of the hospital and to the south is its farm.

Opened in 1962 Åsgård is still a psychiatric hospital and it is now part of the larger organization the University Hospital of North Norway.

1957-1968

Ketil Ugland and Hans P. Thorne, Arendal

Ministry of Social Affairs

Hospital

Concrete

bricks

Landsverneplan for helsesektoren.