LINDÅSTUNET : the adaptation of an obsolete health institution

Student project

Lindåstunet

Photo

Rakel Emilie Emhjellen Paulsen

Diploma

Diploma fall 2024

Lindåstunet is an obsolete health institution in Alver Municipality, built in 1927.
Originally designed as a tuberculosis home, its unique architectural typology is of significant interest for both cultural heritage and the history of medicine. However, the building is in a state of irreversible decay and faces the threat of privatization or potential demolition.

The building was designed by architect Lilla Hansen, known as the first practicing female architect in Norway. Based on the belief that, as a female architect, she possessed nurturing and compassionate qualities, Lilla Hansen was commissioned to develop the typehouse for the Norwegian tuberculosis
home. She designed five tuberculosis homes as well as Oslo Rheumatism Hospital, all of which has been demolished. For unknown reasons, Lilla Hansen burnt her own archive before she died, leaving much of her work and legacy fragmented and shrouded in mystery. Lindåstunet remains as a rare example of her work and is possibly emblematic for our understanding of her contribution to the development in health care architecture.

The tuberculosis homes were built as extentions to the larger sanatoriums, designed to ease the burden of overcrowded facilities and to bring healthcare closer to patients’ home districts. Lindås tuberculosis home is one of approximately 100 tuberculosis homes constructed in Norway between 1910 and 1940.

The abandoned building stands today as a testament to the evolution of healthcare architecture, where modernization, advances in medical technology, and an increasing focus on efficiency have driven changes in hospital design. This shift has culminated in the centralization of healthcare
facilities and the abandonment and demolition of historic health institutions.
This development poses a threat to patient safety, as corridor patients have become more common, travel distances for treatment have increased, and the pressure for efficiency is leading to rapid patient discharges.

How can the building evolve and continue its legacy as a health institution, while also challenging conventional views on the architecture of care? How can the adaptation preserve the inherent values of the tuberculosis home, such as the qualities of light, nature, fresh air, and the domestic characteristics that define its original purpose? Can the project be a contribution to the lost archive of Lilla Hansen?

Rakel Emilie Emhjellen Paulsen

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LINDÅSTUNET : the adaptation of an obsolete health institution

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