HISTORY

In 1994 Luyten & Lens were appointed to develop an eye clinic on the Middelares Campus in Deurne. At the time, the campus comprised a more recent wing, built in the 1980s, and an older wing, which was built in the 1950s. Our intervention was limited in scale, but highly successful. Following from this, Luyten & Lens was appointed to develop a master plan for the entire campus. Since then, the following sections have been completed: an orthopaedic clinic, the refurbishment of part of the consultation offices and the furnishing of a number of luxury maternity rooms. In 2005, project 1 and project 1 bis were delivered and put into use. The study for project 2, comprising the renovation of the existing wings and a 100-bed expansion, has been launched.

ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING

The campus’ surface area is limited; in addition, it is situated at a junction of two streets. The expansion thus had to be implemented alongside Herentalsebaan, an unesthetic and noisy approach road. We chose to use closed volumes along this road. The patient rooms were oriented towards the green area and the inner courtyard/garden. The connection between the underground car park and the street side is safe thanks to the recessed volumes, meaning there is space for a green front garden. It creates the necessary distance in relation to the street, but also contributes to the streetscape’s general aspect. The brick façade as a sculpture has a surprising effect and breaks through the street’s banal impression.
The elegant closed façade on the street side contrasts with the surprisingly light patio in the hospital’s epicentre. Here the lifts give out into the car park; this is also where the reception desk, the restaurant and the junction of all ambulatory traffic are located. From here onwards, the hospital is legible and has a clear structure. The integrated work of art, using and integrating the signs, contributes to this general impression of legibility.

DESIGN

The dynamic management team wishes to further position itself with regard to the acute and ambulatory platform; it has thus chosen to propose an ambitious programme, which needs to be implemented in a limited available surface area. Moreover, the experiential value of the buildings and the surrounding environment are also a priority.
The principal has opted in favour of entities, which function in a relatively independent manner, each with their own atmosphere. This has already been realized in recent years in a number of smaller-scale pre-VIPA (Flemish Infrastructural Fund for Personal Matters) projects and will be continued in the master plan.
The master plan will also provide for the implementation of a frame, with logical traffic patterns for the entire hospital and the required flexibility to implement changes and expansion.