bjarke ingels group designs a neuroscience center to mimic the brain's soft folds

a center for neuroscience and psychiatry

bjarke ingels group / BIG reveals the design of a new neuroscience center in aarhus, denmark. the project will stand as the first of its kind, as it combines the fields of psychiatry and neuroscience under one roof. the proposal for aarhus university hospital will combine both science and treatment of physical and mental brain diseases, spinal cord, and nervous systems. 

covering 19,000 square-meters, the architecture is designed to mimic the gyrification, or soft folds, of the brain. this folding strategy will make the most efficient use of the limited site area while at the same time introducing visual connections between the hospital’s different disciplines.

images © bjarke ingels group / BIG | @big_builds

bjarke ingels group teams with danish neuroscience center

bjarke ingels group (see more here) designs its new center for neuroscience and psychiatrics together with the danish neuroscience center. the DNC has become a world-class research and treatment facility for understanding and treating the most complex, efficient and adaptive organ in our body — the brain. set to open in 2026, the new building will connect directly with the existing campus of aarhus university hospital and seeks to intensify the hospital’s unique approach combining healthcare, education and scientific research to collaborate and inspire each other.

the biomimetic design, mimicking the folding brain

bjarke ingels group’s proposal for the six-story neuroscience center combines the efficiency of a double loaded corridor building with the generosity and openness of a classic atrium typology. by folding the floor plan around an atrium, similar to the characteristic folds in the cerebral cortex, the design not only allows each floor to reach the necessary square footage within a limited area, it also creates a number of connections and smaller clusters with intimate workspaces, courtyards and views between each floor within the hospital.

patients and guests access the building through a generous reception area, into the large open atrium at the center of the building which contains an experience center — an interactive public exhibition and presentation area. the visitors can head directly to one of the clinics upstairs or enjoy the café and a public green courtyard at ground level.

each department from neurology to nuclear medicine, headache clinic and psychiatry has its own distinct space and program functions. to avoid separation and fragmentation between the disciplines, big proposes to organize them by the functions they have in common. this encourages crossbreeding between the different research groups that can help fuel inspiration, innovation and creativity, and future proof the spaces for growth, reduction or replacement.

natural materials throughout the building such as wood and brick, used in other buildings at the campus will bring positive health benefits and a comforting atmosphere to the patients and guests. the red concrete of the exterior will blend well with the existing brick buildings and bring warmth to the spaces, contrasting the usual clinical and sanitized white environment of hospitals.

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project info:

project title: dansk neuroforskningscenter

architecture: bjarke ingels group / BIG | @big_builds

location: aarhus, denmark

client: danish neuroscience center (DNC) / aarhus university hospital

collaborators: salling fondene

partner-in-charge: bjarke ingels, david zahle
project leader: viktoria millentrup
team: alexander matthias jacobson, anders holden deleuran, bachir benkirane, federico martinez de sola, jesper kanstrup petersen, julia novaes tabet, luca pileri, lukasz zbigniew migala, mikkel m. r. stubgaard, natasha lykke lademann østergaard, omar mowafy, taliya nurutdinova, victor mads moegreen, zuzanna eugenia montwill, kristoffer negendahl & mantas povilaika
BIG ideas: katrine juul, tore banke
BIG landscape: ulla hornslyd
BIG engineer: andy coward