In 1949, the Kramáre district of Bratislava was selected as the site for a new “clinical city” with a concentrated development of healthcare facilities. This decision was primarily driven by concerns regarding locations near the national borders in the immediate aftermath of World War II. During this period, a feasibility study on Slovakia’s healthcare network was also prepared, which served as the basis for the planned development of hospitals. One of its most important components was the construction of a new city hospital in Bratislava.
Based on the results of an architectural competition, a design team was formed at Stavoprojekt in Bratislava, led by architect Gustáv Paul. Other leading Slovak architects, Eugen Kramár and Štefan Lukačovič, also worked on the project. However, construction could not begin even in the 1950s. Based on new requirements, two new studies were prepared, which scaled back the site plan and divided the construction into phases. The winning design team, led by Štefan Imrich, adapted the architectural concept to a three-phase construction plan. The first phase included a monoblock with a capacity of 650 beds, a polyclinic, support facilities, and utility networks. The second phase consisted of the children’s and infectious diseases hospitals, and the third phase comprised fully equipped teaching departments.
The hospital’s dominant feature is a 14-story, three-wing monoblock with a floor plan shaped like an open letter Y. Patient rooms face south, while operating rooms face north. The outpatient clinic takes the form of a low-rise structure. On the south side, a seven-story building housing the pediatric ward is connected to it by a connecting corridor. The administrative building is separate from the main complex and also contains the central reception area located at the entrance to the hospital grounds. Structurally, the high-rise monoblock consists of a reinforced concrete skeleton with flat slab ceilings based on a 3.30 x 6.00 m module; the outpatient clinic and other buildings have a 6.60 x 6.00 m module. The floor plan is simple and allowed for the differentiation of various functions as well as a good operational relationship between the outpatient clinic and the inpatient ward.
At the time of its completion, the Kramáre Hospital was the most modern hospital in Slovakia, and the architectural qualities of this building remain evident today in the context of postwar healthcare architecture.
author of the description: Laura Krišteková
Bibliography:
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