The Library Became a Maternity Ward at the Central Hospital in Karlstad

The development of the Central Hospital in Karlstad (CSK) requires a great deal of creativity to navigate the logistical challenges needed to continue providing care while almost the whole hospital area is rebuilt. In total, 110,000 square meters will be built, 14,000 square meters will be renovated, and 40,000 square meters will be demolished – making it one of Sweden’s largest hospital development projects.

Making use of existing buildings is a top priority, and is affecting the hospital’s maternity services, which will move into temporary facilities in 2026 before making a permanent move to the Emergency Care Centre in a few years.

Krister Nilsson, lead architect with responsibility for the clinical planning in the project, has over 25 years of experience in healthcare architecture. He describes how the project team had to ask themselves: where on the site are there just over 2,000 square meters available between 2026 and 2033 that could accommodate a temporary maternity ward? The answer lay in the hospital’s library and art gallery, which were built in the 1970s and have served as an important cultural asset for staff, visitors and patients.

Swedish hospital buildings are often long and narrow, designed to allow light to reach as many rooms as possible. The library’s square shape made it difficult to bring natural light into all areas. For this reason, priority was given to make use of natural light in delivery rooms, patient rooms, and staff workstations, while other rooms are supplemented with artificial lighting that mimics skylights.

Safe spaces in a technically challenging environment
Although the building already exists, design is a top priority. It is important that the rooms convey a sense of calm to ensure a positive childbirth experience – a factor that is increasingly influencing the design of these types of facilities, where new ideas are constantly being explored. To create a safe and calm atmosphere, technical equipment is concealed behind wooden cabinetry – a building material known for its soothing properties. At the same time, beautiful glass panels and wooden elements from the library are preserved in the waiting rooms and common areas to create a sense of familiarity and warmth within the building.

Directly below the maternity ward are the hospital’s central kitchen and a technical services centre. This means that any installation work and drilling must be carefully coordinated to not disrupt food deliveries or operations.

A well-planned process
Throughout the development of CSK, the staff has been involved at every stage – from the floorplan to the detailed design of each room, right down to the placement of furnishings and equipment. The close dialogue between architects, technical consultants, the contractor Skanska, and hospital staff has been crucial, both for creating a functional, safe and efficient healthcare environment and for fostering pride and commitment over time.

The process of building consensus is particularly important in these types of large-scale development projects, especially since the project spans over such a long period that some employees will not work in the new facilities until several years after the initial planning decisions are made. Others will never use them at all. To maintain commitment and trust, a strong focus on building consensus, documentation, dialogue, and ensuring that knowledge is passed on among colleagues over time is required.