Groundbreaking Ceremony at LK Horn
Construction Start Temporary Facility North
To ensure and systematically advance medical care and nursing services in Lower Austria over the long term, Landesklinikum Horn is being refurbished and expanded. As the first construction measure, a temporary facility is being built based on plans by ATP architects engineers, in collaboration with ATP sustain.
The “Health Plan 2040+” of the Province of Lower Austria aims to establish a connected healthcare system that meets future challenges and the growing demand for care. This includes the general refurbishment and expansion of Landesklinikum Horn as a hospital with a key regional function. Originally designed for around 500 employees, it now has more than 1,000 staff, making a comprehensive structural and organizational realignment necessary. The plans include:
• South extension with new operating theaters, expansion of the pharmacy, and a large new department for Physical Medicine
• West extension with a new PET-CT unit and outpatient department
• Conversion of the administration area into a new ophthalmology department including procedure rooms
• Further conversion measures with laboratories, a new urology outpatient department, and expansion of inpatient wards
As an initial measure, a temporary replacement facility is being constructed on the hospital site – a demountable timber structure with the option for subsequent reuse. It will temporarily accommodate the administration, office and staff areas of several departments, as well as the nursing school, ensuring the continued operation of the hospital during the upcoming construction works.
The location of the new building between the existing structure to the south and the energy center to the north has been strategically chosen. It creates functional proximity to existing facilities and enables short, efficient routes within the hospital campus. To the west, a forecourt is being developed that not only serves as a central access point but also as a high-quality space for users. It acts as an identity-forming element and establishes a clear address for the different functions within the building.
The timber construction enables resource-efficient implementation with a low CO₂ footprint while also allowing for future vertical extension or adaptive reuse. A raised floor system ensures flexible and future-proof routing of Building Services installations, while the walls are deliberately kept free of installations to allow for later modifications with minimal structural effort.
The architecture of the building is defined by a reduced, functional design language. The use of timber in the loadbearing structure, facade, and interior is not only sustainable but also gives the building a contemporary, high-quality appearance. The facade with floor-to-ceiling windows provides generous natural daylight to the interior spaces. Inside, the timber surfaces are complemented by carefully placed color accents that emphasize the functional organization of the building while creating a high-quality environment.
