The University Hospital of Northern Norway has a section in Longyearbyen on Svalbard. The hospital building was put into operation in 1991, but hospital activities on Svalbard have a much longer history before that, under the direction of the mining companies. Today's hospital is the nearest neighbour to the cultural centre and is located in the new central field down towards the harbour area where Lampensenteret, Næringsbygget (office premises) and the SAS hotel are also situated. The hospital is situated on the slope west of and parallel to the pedestrian area. The hospital serves several functions: Firstly, to serve the Norwegian population of Svalbard, which has developed into a family community. Secondly, it serves in the same way as a health centre on the mainland, with additional primary health care duties. Its third use is as an emergency hospital for the fishing fleet in the far northern sea areas.

The building has a simple and economical layout that contains some of the rough vigour to be found in old buildings and constructions on Svalbard. In order to temper the building's size to surrounding constructions, it has been broken up into several units. This solution was typical of its time, inspired by post-modernist industrial design.

1990-1991

A3 Arkitektkontor AS

State Public Construction and Property Management

Hospital

Concrete

timber

Landsverneplanen for helsesektoren