Scheitlin Syfrig Architekten
Münsterlingen Psychiatric Clinic
best architects 24
public buildings
Place
Münsterlingen, Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Stefan Zürrer
Description
In cooperation with the former pathology department
and the community centre, a new ensemble was created at the hospital site,
which is arranged around a well-proportioned courtyard. The new building takes
the form of a compact volume with four slightly cantilevered elements. The
resulting loggias give the building a discreet visual dynamic while the
arrangement creates efficient and compact pathways. The core of the building serves
several functions: in addition to the vertical access, it accommodates various
ancillary rooms, depending on the floor. The core zone includes two blocks of
rooms as well as a central corridor. Horizontal access within the wards is
provided by a circular corridor. The lounge is divided into two parts comprising
the living and dining areas, one facing south and the other seaward and both
connected by sight lines. On the upper floors are three psychiatric nursing
wards with 20 beds each, and the ground floor accommodates three therapy rooms.
The three-storey timber building with a post-and-beam structure supporting the
upper floors stands on a reinforced concrete base. The exterior appearance is
characterised by the rhythm of wooden elements, floor-to-ceiling windows and
ornamental fretwork. These elements clearly refer to the long tradition of
timber construction in eastern Switzerland, and yet the overall impression is
urban.