Embedded in the Green

The City of Vienna is modernising its hospital facilities. The site of the former Wilhelminen Hospital in the Ottakring district will also undergo radical transformation in the coming years. Founded in 1890, the hospital has been repeatedly extended over the decades. In place of this very heterogeneous building complex, we propose a contemporary hospital campus with space for 1100 beds, which is to be built over the course of several construction phases. Our design provides clear organisation and short circulation routes with inner courtyards and spacious terraces embedded in a green park landscape.

Situated on a slope, the grounds border an urban Gründerzeit neighbourhood to the east and form a transition zone to a more sparsely populated area towards the Vienna Woods in the west. A number of the pavilions on the site are historically listed properties and will be preserved. The heights of different parts of the large new building are staggered to harmonize it with the surroundings. The central clinic, together with the psychiatry building and the parent-child centre, forms an ensemble with a spacious park in the middle.

Intuitive Orientation

The main building is accessed via a central forecourt. A restaurant, diverse shops, and a bakery on the ground floor also provide additional infrastructure for the neighbourhood residents. A bright and friendly foyer welcomes visitors, provides orientation, and connects up with the main circulation area on the garden side. Here, the main passageway opens up to the park and serves not only as a circulation axis throughout the building but also as a light-flooded common area with break zones and a café. Spacious terraces and roof gardens above the levels with the outpatient and intensive care units complement the outdoor areas and invite the greenery indoors.

Tranquil Views, Short Distances

A total of 24 nursing wards are housed above the plinth in two three-storey buildings. All patient care rooms are oriented to the outside and enjoy open views to the tranquil surrounding area. Clusters of four care stations respectively are centred around a shared hub. This layout facilitates orientation and ensures easy accessibility with short distances. The central emergency area and the operating rooms are located in a separate building section to the north.

»Our aim was to create a bright and friendly clinic campus with a clear organisational structure that affords easy orientation and offers all patients a wonderful view of the surroundings.«