Nieuwbouw Universitair Centrum Psychiatrie

Psychiatry does not need to be hidden away

Last Tuesday, UCP employees symbolically wrote their names on the first pile. In this way, they are jointly supporting the new building, which will be completed in 2023.

Nurse managers Onno Kors, Martijn Siebers and Annelies Dijkstra (pictured above) from the UCP: 'The new building will provide patients with a pleasant place to stay, with plenty of light, greenery and tranquillity. But it also shows that the taboo surrounding psychiatry is being broken. Psychiatry does not need to be hidden away. In the new building, we will be closer to each other. This will allow us to spend more time with patients and communicate more easily with colleagues. We are very happy and proud of this development!

Orientation towards the sun

The choice was made for an independent, detached building that is connected to the central medical complex of the UMCG by an air bridge. The guiding principle behind the design is orientation towards the sun. All patient rooms face east (morning sun). The building is quiet, calming and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It also encourages patients to go outside and there is an exercise garden with lots of greenery. From their rooms, patients can look out over the nearby Oosterparkwijk neighbourhood. By literally orienting the rooms towards society, patients are invited to continue participating in “normal” life.

'With a beautiful new university psychiatric hospital, we will be able to continue to provide high-quality psychiatric care in the future,' says Henk Snapper, vice-chairman of the board of directors. 'The current building is outdated and no longer meets current standards. The new building has plenty of space to optimally facilitate our three core tasks: patient care, research and education. '

Completion scheduled for late 2023

The approximately 15,500 m2 complex was designed by the architectural firms Atelier PRO and Vakwerk Architecten and is being built by the Bam Trebbe Engie (BTE) consortium. The new building is expected to be completed at the end of 2023. The design takes into account the earthquake resistance of the structure.

UMCG is building

Over the next 15 years, the UMCG will be undertaking a large-scale expansion and renovation project. In doing so, we are working on the future of healthcare in the northern Netherlands. We offer a healthcare environment that meets the latest requirements and is ready for new developments. We will be doing this until 2035 with construction projects on the Healthy Ageing Campus (Hanzeplein) and in Haren.

Update March 2023

At the end of March 2023, the highest point of the UCP construction was reached. On Thursday 30 March, this was celebrated by the parties involved.