Bialystok, Poland

University Hospital in Bialystok

DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGN CONCEPT

The competition program called for the conversion and extension of the University Hospital in Bialystok, totaling in 20-30thousand m2, which together with the existing area comes close to 60-70thousand m2. Being such a large area this was in all probability, the last opportunity to restructure the hospital, both functionally and specially.

1. Ideological assumptions
The restructuring is based on the following assumptions: the organizational improvement of basic hospital functions; the functional reorganization of the existing hospital, making it’s central section more accessible; the design of non-pass-through hospital wards and services; the segregation of two pedestrian flows – “red flow” for patient transport and “green flow” for visitors and hospital personnel; a new structure of two-patient rooms with bathrooms; the effectiveness in the utilization of hospital staff and apparatus; the rationalization of investment and exploitation costs, as well as the flexible usage of large hospital spaces.

3. Proposed spatial and architectural solutions
The location of the building extension was set along the axis of symmetry for the existing hospital complex, in the southwestern direction. The main access route for the hospital is from M.Curie-Sklodowskiej Street. It is in this region that the larger parking area is located. Two entrance roads provide access to the newly designed building; the first being the access route from the southwestern direction, reserved for ambulances leading to the hospital’s trauma center, while the second provides access for individual patients to the emergency unit from M.Wolodyjskiego Street.

The newly designed building foresees a three storied structure, functionally connected to the existing hospital.

Due to the necessity of providing the proper storey height and functional connections, the “treatment platform” (all regions of intense therapy and surgery, including the emergency department, ICU, operation rooms etc.) have been located at the future ground floor level. Beyond that, the storey heights of the building extension have retained the heights of the existing building.

Since the square meter area of the “treatment platform” exceeds the square meter areas of all the higher stories considerably, this part of the hospital serves as a kind of plinth for the remainder of the building. This level has been designed so that it is set apart from the remainder of the building by a dark facade and a roof structure that covers the approach bay to the emergency unit, and then connects with existing terrain. The interiors covered up by this structure are illuminated with the help of roof perforations, while the roof’s grass surface integrates this extensive part of the program with the terrain.

The upper two stories that group together hospital rooms, constitute a compact unit with a smooth, double facade. Window openings are spread apart evenly, and take the form of “tall” rectangular shapes to allow maximum illumination of the rooms. This is in regard to the comfort of the patients.

4. Functionality Taking into account the inappropriate location of the existing emergency ward, this part of the hospital has been moved and integrated into the “treatment platform” mentioned above, logically grouping all diagnostic and surgery functions within close proximity of the trauma center. Along with the emergency ward this area includes: radiology, anesthesia and intensive care units, surgery, and the delivery ward.

The level of the existing basement has been reserved for the central sterile supply department, archives and staff locker rooms.

Ambulatory and consultation units, as well as three small clinics have been located on the ground floor, easily accessible to patients.

The building extension consists of five 30-bed surgical wards, contained within the “treatment platform” and placed along the sides of building’s rectangular form. These wards are interconnected by corridors, enabling the flexible utilization of the hospital beds. The communication cores (elevators and stairwells) have been located in the central part of the building’s plan, a contact zone for the individual wards, enabling vertical movement between different levels. Dining areas and spaces intended for leisure and seminar functions, common to patients and staff are situated in the central region of each building storey.

The organizational scheme is based on creating a strong axis of communication, joining the existing part of the hospital with the building extension, independent of the lateral route of communication, and interconnected with three elevator locations – one grouping elevators intended for the general public, and the other two intended exclusively for patient transport. The later connecting the appropriate group of treatment wards with the “treatment platform,” and the non-treatment wards with radiology.

TEKTURA – Michał Kozielewski

Design team members:

Michał Kozielewski
Barbara Kozielewska
Ewa Radziszewska
Mateusz Kluczek
Dominik Paterek
Izabela Langner
Kamila Miryn
Bartłomiej Najman

Europaconcorsi Beta

University Hospital in Bialystok