Architects: TIMA Zoltán, NÉMETH Tamás
The new diagnostic block of pleasant proportions has been built in a central part of the hospital campus and it is connected to the neighbouring pavilions by underground corridors. The building, clad by white metal sheet panels, has transparent interiors, where natural light is provided by a row of skylights and atria. The design laid particular emphasis on the preservation of the existing vegetation and the restoration of the protected garden.
Construction of the hospital, named after Queen Elizabeth, started in 1910, on the edge of the city, along a busy main road, very close to the Győr–Sopron–Ebenfurt railway line. During the complete reconstruction in the 1990s, the active departments and outpatient consulting units were renewed and the neurology and psychiatry departments were relocated into a new building. Along with the development of hospital equipment, there was a growing need for a centrally located diagnostic centre, accessible from the pavilions through an underground connection. A suitable area for this was created by the demolition of the single-storey V. building, where the connection to the main hospital buildings was easy to accomplish. The two-storey new building has a basment, where enclosed, covered corridors lead to the neighbouring buildings. Though the main entrance road doesn’t come this way, the building is easily visible and accessible both by car and on foot.
The layout of the building has a shifted and diagonally symmetrical design. The floor plan is organized along four parallel corridors, which is a good formula for providing access to groups of rooms, and results in an efficient layout. The main entrance opens into an airy, well lit lobby accommodating the reception zone and the cafeteria. The diagnostic and the very busy outpatient care units are located on the ground floor, with 28 specialist consulting rooms and staff areas. The neurology and stroke department and the gastroenterology department are on the first floor, with regular and accessible wards. There is a basement under a part of the building with the main role of providing an indoor connection to the neighbouring pavilions. The waste containers, general store-rooms, electrical and mechanical rooms, as well as the changing rooms are also located here. The elliptical superstructures on the roof, disparate from the square geometry of the building, hide mechanical equipment both visually and acoustically.
Natural light for the waiting rooms on the ground floor and the consulting rooms on the first floor is provided by regularly placed internal courtyards and atria. The interior spaces are clear and transparent, both the interior and the exterior materials are simple and uniform, helping the often anxious patients to have a calm and more relaxed stay in the hospital. The same objective is served by the use of white colour on the façade and in the interior corridors. The park around the building has been restored, the roads, walkways and steps have been connected to the new building. The large, paved area in front of the entrance meets the requirements of the fire brigade, it is accessible both through steps and ramps suitable for wheelchair users.
Location: Sopron, Győri út 15. Built: 2015 Architects: TIMA Zoltán, NÉMETH Tamás Associate architects: TÖLGYESI Kaplony, STEIN Zoltán, MOLNÁR J. Tibor, RÁTI Orsolya, MÉLYKÚTI-PAPP Dóra, SZABÓ Máté Interior architect: KERECSÉNYI Zsuzsa Landscape architect: HAVASSY Gabriella Area: 6500 m²
