Engineering firm to design new hospital in city being moved 3km to the east

The city is being moved as a result of the expansion of an iron ore mine, which is Kiruna’s primary economic resource.

Sweco has been handed the task of designing and planning the new regional hospital and its surroundings by the local authority Region Norrbotten.

The hospital will be built in an old mining area and will provide the same healthcare services as the current hospital but in in “improved, future-proof” premises.

Kiruna sits 145 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and was built to serve what is now the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. The town is currently being moved building by building to make way for the expansion of the mine.

By 2035, the current city centre will have been replaced with the newly developed city centre.

Ann-Louise Lökholm Klasson, business area president of Sweco in Sweden, said, “From Sweco’s side, we are ready to contribute our expertise to help create this important component of societal infrastructure that will benefit the citizens of Kiruna for many years to come. Our goal is not just to create a hospital that meets today’s healthcare needs, but one that also is sustainable, robust and adapted for the future.”