New psychiatric clinic in Tampere, Finland provides example of “healing architecture”
Wellu Hamalainen

New psychiatric clinic in Tampere, Finland provides example of “healing architecture”

13 Jan 2025  •  News  •  By Gerard McGuickin

Danish architectural studio C.F. Møller Architects worked in collaboration with Finnish studio ARCO Architecture Company to design and complete a new psychiatric clinic at Tampere University Hospital in the city of Tampere, Finland. The clinic provides a beneficial and healing environment for both patients and staff; located on the edge of the hospital grounds, the new facility blends with the surrounding landscape to offer a peaceful, private, and therapeutic atmosphere. A link (via an underground tunnel) with the main hospital’s infrastructure affords organizational and structural advantages.

photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit C.F. Møller Architects
C.F. Møller Architects

Architecture can play a vital role in finding solutions that address the growing awareness of mental health conditions. “The clinic at Tampere University Hospital is a prime example of ‘healing architecture’, a term often associated with evidence-based design,” says C.F. Møller Architects. “This project addresses the specific needs of psychiatric care by integrating flexible structures, nature, and cultural elements to enhance healing and staff well-being.”

photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen

The design follows a modular concept that will adapt accordingly as needs change: three U-shaped ward buildings are arranged in a semi-circle, providing 180 beds for a range of psychiatric healthcare needs across a gross floor area of 30,000 square meters (322,917 square feet).

photo_credit Render by C.F Møller Architects in collaboration with ARCO Architecture Company
Render by C.F Møller Architects in collaboration with ARCO Architecture Company
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit C.F. Møller Architects
C.F. Møller Architects

The buildings are arranged in a way that ensures privacy and security; individual patient rooms maximize natural light and outdoor views, reducing the need for artificial lighting and more importantly, helping to alleviate a patient’s stress and anxiety. Each care building is set out in a manner that arranges the departments in pairs with a strategically placed staff core — this increases flexibility and reduces resource needs. A centrally located administrative and activities building anchors the three ward buildings, creating an enclosed courtyard that serves as an inviting outdoor space and communal hub. “This layout promotes a sense of community while respecting each patient's need for solitude and personal space,” says C.F. Møller. “Moreover, the circular structure and the vertical nodes within the volume of each building ensure short distances and good communication throughout the facility.”

photo_credit C.F. Møller Architects
C.F. Møller Architects
photo_credit C.F. Møller Architects
C.F. Møller Architects
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen

Tampere is known as the “Manchester of the North” because of the city’s rich industrial heritage. The new psychiatric clinic’s design draws on this heritage as well as the natural surroundings of the former and historic Pitkäniemi clinic, whose architecture dates back to the late 19th century. The modern-day psychiatric clinic incorporates brick, ceramic, and wood to create a warm, welcoming, and balanced space; the clinic’s restrained height ensures the building maintains a human-scale connection, one appropriately suited to the location.

Furniture taken from the old Pitkäniemi clinic adds a sense of cultural continuity and helps reduce the project's environmental impact.

photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen

“Landscaping plays a critical role in this design,” says C.F. Møller. “The facility’s setting among the pine forests integrates greenery into the architecture, reinforcing a calming and therapeutic atmosphere.” Direct access to outdoor spaces, including balconies for each ward, encourages interaction with nature, thereby supporting mental and physical well-being.

photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen
photo_credit Wellu Hamalainen
Wellu Hamalainen