Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Surgery Center showcases Knot Studio’s designers’ technical expertise and seamless integration with the architectural team.

The Fairbanks community’s dedication to building and sustaining a world-class hospital inspired Knot Studio’s designers to create an artful expression in response to a complex program. Knot Studio quickly recognized Fairbanks Memorial Hospital’s rich history and crucial community role. The hospital was devastated 50 years ago by a flood, spurring the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation to rebuild this essential institution. The community-owned hospital re-opened in 1972, several years after the flood. Community members, the City of Fairbanks, and state and federal agencies stepped up with the project’s necessary financial support. Because of this broad-based support, the hospital uniquely focused on serving the interests and needs of Fairbanks’ citizens.

Knot Studio’s placemaking and wayfinding program involved coordination with the Surgery Center’s local architect and a Portland-based medical planning team. Knot’s team met with stakeholders in the Fairbanks community and regularly spent time on site throughout the project.

The donor recognition wall is an important reminder of the milestones for the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and its legacy of community focus and overcoming significant challenges. With the Alaskan aurora borealis as their inspiration, designers with Knot Studio chose unique colors, lighting, and forms. Knot Studio’s designs required careful coordination with architects and hospital officials on unique structural and electrical requirements. Signs and graphics were fabricated by a sign contractor in Portland, who ensured competitively priced signage and close coordination on design execution throughout the construction process.