Function and Atmosphere
A hospital to meet the needs of the staff, the patients and visitors
Olga Hospital and Women's Clinic
Client: Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart / Location: Stuttgart
GFA: 96,300 m² / Beds: 405 / Completion: 2014 / Competition: 1st Prize 2004
Architecture: HPP and Sorg and Frosch Consortium
Services: Lead Consulting, Architecture
As part of the structural reorganisation of the Stuttgart Clinic, the new buildings of the Centre for Children's and Youth Medicine - the Olga Hospital and the Women's Clinic - were completed on the grounds of the Katharinen Hospital in May 2014. In total, the building ensemble comprises almost 30,000 m² of usable space.
Orientation and Identity
Simple orientation - for staff, patients and visitors - is essential not only for streamlining processes, but also for enhancing well-being. This is why the various patient areas are so simply structured and have a clear signage system providing easy navigation. Like a pavilion, they lie on a common, multi-storey pedestal that accommodates the functional areas. Rooms and corridors flooded with daylight, offering a view to the outside, enhance orientation at every location in the building.
Olgahospital concept, HPP + Sorg und Frosch Consortium
In the pavilion-like structure of the building, the various departments are grouped around an inner courtyard. The corridors are located inside or around the atrium. The patient rooms face the outside and allow the patient a view of the surroundings. The pavilions turn each ward into a ring, a protected area, "a house", which is seamlessly integrated into the large structure of the clinic. The functional and patient areas are also clearly recognisable from the outside as distinct from one another by means of the individual façade designs.
A hospital designed for children
A defining feature of the new clinic complex is the interior design concept, which combines maximum functionality with a child- and youth-friendly ambience to provide the best conditions for the care of young patients. Combining the two facilities at a single location enables optimal care for mothers and children. The
Olgahospital, also affectionately called Olgäle (Little Olga), is home to highly-specialised paediatric departments which also benefit pregnant mothers coming to the gynaecological clinic to deliver their babies.
The execution in detail
Rather than using PVC, we chose linoleum because, in addition to its more attractive appearance, it is made entirely from natural materials. Linoleum consists mainly of linseed oil, natural resins, cork or wood dust, limestone dust, pigments and a jute canvas backing. The fact that the product is natural was a very important aspect for us, especially in the context of a children's hospital and a women's hospital with a maternity ward.
The clinic, and the new structures, will be supplied centrally from a new power plant via a ring line. The connections to the energy grid were completed during the first construction phase. In the second construction phase, the old power plant was dismantled and building work continued. The plant facilities for the new building are located in the basement and on the terrace level. They are primarily used to supply the operating theatres below. The physical proximity facilitates cost-effective use.
The proposed support grid allows a multitude of different functional arrangements for patient care and treatment. The centralised and decentralised positioning of the supply and disposal zones creates a coherent multipurpose area, which also enables innovative use concepts in hospital construction. The operating area on the 2nd floor is largely free-spanning. The clear geometric shape of the building supports this flexibility in every respect.
Generous glazing along the main roads with a view of the landscaped courtyards creates a friendly atmosphere along the transport connections. Doors with glass fanlights provide pleasant daylight conditions in the treatment areas. Through the use of translucent façade surfaces, natural daylight is introduced into the deep courtyards.
Daylight and the transparency of the building ultimately contribute to the well-being and reduced recovery-times of the patients.
![[Translate to English:] Die Lichthöfe sorgen für helle und freundliche Räume](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/1/csm_P_210046_N17_L_0db9366f88.jpg)
