Pit stop : stitching together medical facility and transport infrastructure

Abstract

Hospitals are a legacy of humanity’s deepest compassion. They embody society values and culture. Recognized as icons of health and wellness within our society, there is no greater irony in architecture that these civic buildings have a disposition to create unlivable, uncaring, and hostile spaces. They have become places avoided by most, addressed with reluctance, and ignored in terms of conventional buildings in architecture.

The research is inspired by the growing conviction that there is a need to pursue fresh and innovative approaches to hospital design. Propelled by the idea of reviving the image of hospitals in society, and suturing the severed physical and social connections to the city, this project explores architecture’s role in achieving these aspirations.

Starting from the evolution of hospitals and their physical and social impact on the city, this research focuses on the heart of the hospital, the emergency care services.

With its roots in military medicine, civilian emergency services perform a vital role in our society. A design proposal derived from the research findings for an accident and emergency center in Auckland is presented as a test-bed for architectural speculation and future debate on hospital design. This is a project aimed at achieving a more architecturally expressive and empowering image of healthcare and its reinstatement within our city’s infrastructure.

This research seeks to convince students and healthcare professionals of the great artistic and cultural tradition of a hospital as a work of architecture.

Project site: Nelson Street under the Karangahape Road Bridge.