[Reasons for the construction of Bispebjerg Hospital--a hospital with light, air and freedom of nature].
Since the 1850ies the city of Copenhagen changed, ramparts were removed or remodelled as parks, industries were established. The new factories and wharfs expanded, labourers were needed; many country people moved into the city to find work and thus the population increased immensely. In Copenhagen a few hospitals only were present around 1850; The Royal Frederik Hospital (now the Museum of applied Arts) was the only hospital in the modern sense of the word. Other institutions with "hospital" as part of their name as e.g. General Hospital (Almindelig Hospital) or Ladegaarden were a mixture of hospital and workhouse and The Royal Maternity Hospital founded in 1750. The wealthy and the upper middle class citizens were nursed or cured at home. At the end of the nineteenth century medical doctors could successfully cure some diseases, and surgeons could after the introduction of the anesthetic and aseptic treatment carry out operations with diminished risks of complications. Copenhagen's first modern hospital, Municipal Hospital (Kommunehospitalet) opened 1863, but in a very short time it was permanently overcrowded. Although two small hospitals Blegdam Hospital (isolation hospital) and the Oresund Hospital (quarantine station) were established a large new hospital was needed. Although the financial situation of the city of Copenhagen was strained due to the expenditures caused by the rapidly growing population within the city itself and the villages incorporated into it, the first social democratic mayor Jens Jensen wanted to secure his voters the same care and treatment as citizens of better means. As this view was accepted by the majority of the city council a hospital in the then modern and functional pavilion system (ascribed to Florence Nightingale) with buildings surrounded by gardens was planned. The architect Martin Nyrop (1849-1921) who had just completed the monumental and beautiful Copenhagen City Hall along with the engineer AC Karsten (1857-1931) and landscape architect Edvard Glaesel (1858-1915) were entrusted with the task to develop the design of the hospital. Bispebjerg Hospital was built in the years 1907-13 on a piece of land of 21 hectares on a slope facing southeast at Bispebjerg Bakke at the lower end bordering on Lersøen, a lake which eventually was filled and drained. The 6 red 2-story brick pavilions are located around an axis along Bispebjerg hill with southeast facing bedrooms over viewing the lush patient gardens. These sick rooms all had large double windows at the southeast providing excellent daylight. On the walls are washable frescoes with motifs from nature. Pavilion buildings are flanked by two avenues with linden trees on both sides and connected by crossroads between the buildings. Underground tunnels link the buildings. On both sides, the two lower pavilions on the same side of the central avenue staircase are linked together by a long covered bridge leading from the first floor of the first building to the ground flour in the next building because of the terrain slope. This bridge connects the two pavilions with a building with operating theatres so that patients can be transferred indoors between operation theatre and sick room. Surrounding the sick pavilions administrative building, rheumatic outpatient department, laundry, kitchen and engine house are placed. Between the buildings, avenues and crossroads gardens designed with benches, beautiful flowerbeds and bouquets were established to the leisure of the patients. The hospital offers a wealth ot fine architectural designs and presents itself as a kind of garden village within the city.
Permin
Henrik
H
Lungemedicinsk Klinink I, Bispebjerg Hospital, København NV. henrikpermin@hotmail.com
Wagner
Peter
P
D001108:Architecture / Q000266:history; D003718:Denmark; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006761:Hospitals / Q000266:history*