Did you know that the Panum Building was once simply called the Panum Institute? It’s a massive complex part of the University of Copenhagen’s North Campus. It houses the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. This includes the Faculty of Medicine and the Dental School. There’s even a dental clinic inside. It’s the largest in Denmark with around 230 treatment chairs.
The Panum Building is more than just classrooms and labs. It’s a vibrant hub. It has a library two canteens lecture theatres offices and student clubs. A bookshop caters to the needs of the students and staff. Think of it as a mini-city dedicated to health and medical sciences.
The building’s architecture is quite striking. It’s a prime example of Brutalism. It was built between 1971 and 1986. Eva and Nils Koppel Gert Edstrand and Poul Erik Thyrring designed it. Landscape architects Edith and Ole Nørgård designed the outside areas. Tonning Rasmussen envisioned the artistic decoration color scheme and those characteristic chimneys. Even the basement boasts murals by Poul Gernes. It really is a work of art.
The Panum complex wasn’t always this large. It originally spanned 105000 square meters. In 2012 construction began on an extension called the Maersk Tower. This opened in 2017 significantly increasing the size to 140000 square meters. The extra space mainly focuses on research education canteens and bicycle parking. The Maersk Tower has an observation platform open to the public. So you can enjoy a panoramic view of Copenhagen.
The Panum Building is named after a remarkable man. Peter Ludvig Panum a Danish physiologist and pathologist. He was born in 1820 and founded exercise physiology studies at the University of Copenhagen. His research on measles was groundbreaking. He studied an epidemic in the Faroe Islands in 1846. His work remains highly influential in epidemiology. His name also features in a visual phenomenon called Panum’s area describing binocular vision. The Panum Building is a fitting tribute to his legacy a testament to his contributions to medicine and science.