Photo: Mikael Risedal
The project is part of the long-term development of the Paradis block and will create even better conditions for the Faculty of Social Sciences' activities in central Lund. With more study places, modern working and learning environments and developed meeting places, students, researchers and staff will have new opportunities to meet, study and collaborate in one of the University's most distinctive buildings.
– Gamla Kirurgen is one of Lund's older university buildings and an important part of the city's identity. Through this initiative, we take responsibility for a cultural-historical heritage while creating modern and attractive environments for the Faculty of Social Sciences' students and staff. It is a project that strengthens both the university, the city centre and Lund as a city of knowledge, says Pontus Isaksson, Property Area Manager at Akademiska Hus.
Gamla Kirurgen, which consists of about 4,600 m2, was built in the 1860s and has been part of Lund's history for more than 150 years. First as part of the university hospital and since the 1980s pure training facilities. A careful reconstruction is now being carried out in which the building's cultural-historical values and architectural expression are taken advantage of while technical systems, accessibility and functions are adapted to the needs of today and tomorrow. The old surgeon is a listed building and will be modernized without changing the character of the building.
Proximity to the city important
For the Faculty of Social Sciences, the development of the Paradis block is an important part of the long-term work to strengthen the education and research environments in central Lund. The faculty has a strong connection to society and public discourse, and proximity to the pulse of the city is an important part of the environment for both students and researchers.
– The redevelopment will contribute to creating a vibrant and cohesive campus area where university life and city life meet. Gamla Kirurgen will be an open, welcoming and future-proof place for learning, meetings and the exchange of ideas. The vision is for the building to contribute to an attractive and vibrant Paradis neighbourhood where students and staff thrive and want to spend time, says Robert Holmberg, project manager for campus development at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University.
Part of a larger investment
The redevelopment is also part of the continued development of the entire Paradis block, where the reconstruction of Eden and Gamla Köket was the first and was then followed by a reconstruction of Gamla Lungkliniken, where the modernized premises were inaugurated in the autumn of 2024. In the spring of 2026, Allhelgonaskolan has been re-ventilated and repainted. Akademiska Hus and Lund University work together to create an attractive, sustainable and cohesive university environment where historic buildings and modern needs interact.
– The development of the Paradis block from a closed hospital environment to an open, city-integrated university environment shows how the buildings, through their high degree of generality and usability, have a long-term value. We have learned that needs are constantly changing. Through a combination of larger projects, such as the rebuilding of Gamla Kirurgen, and smaller adaptation efforts, we have found a strategy to work with. With a concentration on spatial relationships rather than on individual buildings, the Paradis block can continue to develop and constitute a rich and inspiring environment for students and employees as well as for the general public, says Ulla-Britt Persson, local planner at LU Estates Agency.
Construction of the renovation of Gamla Kirurgen is planned to start in the autumn of 2026 and occupancy is expected to take place in 2028.
