state hospital gmunden

basic urban planning concepts
the extension and renovation of the gmunden regional hospital, located on a hill above lake traunsee on the outskirts of the city, makes it possible to harmonise the heterogeneous and confusing appearance of the existing building, which was constructed in several stages, while at the same time giving the area an identity and intimacy. the extraordinary location in the countryside was to serve as the guiding theme for the extension. a city screen encloses the confusing conglomeration of buildings on the street side, integrating the new ground-level buildings as well as the existing magnetic resonance and emergency room buildings, merging into the two-storey outpatient and service room complex and completing the enclosure with the south-east-facing geriatric wards on the administrative and intensive care wing to the south.

green space zoning
the existing nature park in the south-west remains untouched. the protected tree population on the site is respected and taken into account in the construction measures. an artificial park landscape stretches gently undulating in front of the geriatric wards in the south-east. the outpatient clinic and day clinic are located in front of green lungs.

location of the new buildings
in keeping with the basic concept of the existing buildings, all nursing wards will be located in quiet green areas, and noise and dust pollution from road traffic will be kept as far away from the nursing area as possible. all outpatient areas will be located on the ground floor. the expanded and upgraded service yard will serve as a central supply and disposal zone.

parking decks
two gently sloping, partially open parking decks provide the necessary parking spaces. the intensively greened garage roof extends the natural space of the area and defines a separate, immediately accessible landscape park in front of the new geriatric wards.

routing
a new main corridor leads visitors, patients and staff from the car park to the centre of the hospital complex: at the intersection of the existing entrance and the main corridor is the reception hall, which serves as a distribution point for the outpatient areas and the vertical access routes to the wards. a large open reception desk signals the change in hospital construction, with visitors being welcomed in a similar way to a hotel. this fundamental feature continues into the hospital rooms and is intended to make the stay as pleasant as possible for patients and staff alike. various facilities in the hall, such as a café, hairdresser and bank, as well as generous furnishings, including plants, create a semi-public, lively and identity-forming interior space. this idea is continued in the annexes, where the corridors in particular are upgraded and designed as areas for lingering. corridors are not purely traffic areas; in the middle of the wing, in front of the ward bases, they expand into a kind of ‘village square’, furnished and usable in various ways and equipped with balconies or terraces in the geriatric wing. generous window areas in this area, as well as at the ends of the corridors, allow residents to easily find their way around the building and enjoy views of the surrounding landscape.