Politicians criticized for form over function

Experts from the Technical University of Denmark critiqued politicians for focusing on architecture over functionality in Denmark’s super hospital projects, reports Berlingske. This critique follows the Danish National Audit Office’s identification of delays and cost overruns, notably in the Capital Region where the Hillerød hospital is six years late and 2.3 billion kroner over budget. The evaluation blamed political influence during planning and stressed that operations should guide hospital designs, not aesthetics. There’s an anticipated record-breaking budget excess at Hillerød, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Capital Region council chairman Lars Gaardhøj acknowledged the overly ambitious projects and a learned emphasis on constructability and clinical operations.