Ersta Hospital by Tengbom

The commission included the design and construction of the outdoor environments at Ersta Diakoni’s new hospital on Södermalm in Stockholm. The focus has been on creating green, harmonious, and functional spaces for patients, visitors, and staff. The outdoor areas comprise an entrance square, courtyards, and roof terraces, each with its own unique conditions.

A hospital capturing a historical identity
The project has included the development of the landscape design, project planning documentation, and building permit and construction drawings and specifications. It has been complex and required close collaboration and coordination with the architect, structural engineer, traffic planner, waterproofing consultant, and lighting designer. A large part of the new hospital’s outdoor environment is built on a concrete slab, which has posed challenges in achieving sufficient soil depth for plantings. The design has also been adapted to the surrounding existing buildings. Additionally, the project has had very high accessibility requirements.

Ersta Hospital was founded at Erstaklippan on Katarinaberget in 1864 and moved in 1907 to the building designed by Axel Kumlien on Fjällgatan. Fifty years later, major new buildings and additions were constructed in the area, with Tengbom working on both the interior and exterior. In 2014, an architectural competition for the new Ersta Hospital emphasized the importance of capturing the historical identity of the surrounding environment. Nyréns Arkitektkontor, in collaboration with RATIO, won with a concept that elegantly followed the topography, reflected the scale, and embraced the classical expression of the area. They worked on the project until the building permit application. In 2017, Tengbom was commissioned to manage and implement the project, further developing the hospital’s function and design. Due to new requirements, Nyrén’s concept for the outdoor environment was revised by Tengbom. The work was carried out in close and crucial collaboration with the Program Office for Ersta Diakoni and, for the revised and approved building permit, with the city architect and the City of Stockholm.

A home-like atmosphere
Ersta Diakoni’s core values are compassion, responsibility, care, respect, and openness, with a focus on each individual’s integrity and well-being. The organization’s ambition is to create a home-like atmosphere rather than a traditional hospital setting. In our work, we have aimed to design an outdoor environment that reflects these values as much as possible. In terms of design, we have consistently prioritized small-scale, thoughtful material choices, plant design, and a ‘friendly design language,’ characterized by soft geometric forms and smaller spaces throughout. Art plays a significant role, with high ambitions for artistic decoration both indoors and outdoors.

Healing greenery – for all senses
The entrance square is the most public part of the project and serves as a valuable addition to the city. It is designed to make both visitors and passersby feel welcome to pause and sit for a while. Enclosed by low granite walls inspired by the so-called Stockholmskolan—found in many of Stockholm’s parks and common during the functionalist era—the square offers small spaces between the walls that frame and define the area. This creates an intimate environment with opportunities for a pause, all executed with great attention to detail. One such detail is a guiding strip made of corten steel, which functions as both a decorative and practical element, playfully guiding visitors to the main entrance. The large, diverse plantings throughout the square have an ephemeral quality, changing expression across the seasons, with different areas taking the spotlight at various times of the year.

The roof terraces vary in expression, ranging from functional, paved, and practical to lush greenery. The terrace serving palliative care features raised plantings with soft forms, creating an enclosure that provides a sense of privacy for those spending time there. The goal is to offer a space where people can share valuable moments together under the open sky. The plantings are thoughtfully designed, with a high proportion of fragrant, tactile, and edible plants that attract butterflies, bees, and birds. Additionally, the concept of “feeling at home” is emphasized, which we translated into a strategy of recognition. When selecting plants, recognition is a key strategy. Seeing a familiar flower or a berry you enjoy can evoke positive associations and provide a sense of strength. Here, patients should be able to reach out, taste a wild strawberry, or rub a herb between their fingers and inhale its fragrance.

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
Tengbom and Nyréns

• All architecture offices involved in the design:
Tengbom, Ratio and Nyréns

• Other credits:
Landscape architects, team (Tengbom): Anders Brandstedt, Hannah Marschall, Jenny Thyberger, Pia Englund
Photo: Felix Gerlach
Client: Ersta Diakoni
Collaborations: Nyréns architects, Ratio architects, Milford, Frida Kjellman (artist)

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