The Treatment Core is the largest and most complex building within the new hospital development and will serve as the operational heart of the campus. Once completed, the approximately 70,000 m² building will become the largest building ever constructed in Iceland. Designed for a modern emergency and university hospital, it accommodates advanced diagnostics, treatment, surgery, intensive care, inpatient wards, rehabilitation facilities, and public services within a highly integrated healthcare environment.

The building is organized around simplicity, clear circulation, and close functional relationships between departments and surrounding hospital buildings. Connections through bridges, underground corridors, and internal spines ensure efficient movement for patients, staff, and logistics across the broader hospital campus. The lower three floors contain the primary treatment functions, including the emergency department, imaging, operating theatres, intensive care units, and specialized clinical facilities. Public areas, services, lecture halls, and gathering spaces are integrated throughout the lower levels, reinforcing the building’s role as both healthcare infrastructure and civic institution.

The architectural concept is based on dividing the large programme into five connected building bars linked through central circulation spines. This strategy reduces the perceived scale of the complex in relation to central Reykjavík while maximizing daylight, views, and orientation throughout the building. Rooftops are designed as accessible garden spaces overlooking the city and surrounding mountains, creating restorative environments for patients, relatives, and staff.

Extraordinary emphasis has been placed on resilience and long-term durability. The building is engineered to remain fully operational following severe earthquakes and other natural or man-made disasters, ensuring continuity of critical healthcare services under extreme conditions.