ASTOC - Architects and Planners

CH-Bern Masterplan Hospital

In the highly dynamic financial and political environment of the Inselspital (literally "island hospital") development and the lively competition involving top scientists and physicians, the focus of this strategic development remains on ensuring the future adaptability of the university hospital site. However, traditional planning techniques are no longer up to the job of managing a fast-changing, complex project like this, which calls for new planning tools and open agreement of objectives for the hospital site itself and the surrounding urban milieu.

Our concept for the Inselspital masterplan very precisely determines the critical decision points required in today's plans to retain the flexibility for high-quality development in the future, without any loss of the project's dynamic. Our master "plan" defines a basic strategic spatial structure derived from local developmental boundary conditions and based on a elemental, modular view of the site and infrastructure system. Six "playing pieces", component visions for urban design, open space, university hospital facilities, infrastructure, corporate identity and economics, occupy the "board" and define the framework for the development.

Objective
Today the Inselspital operates on many levels as a successful and innovative university hospital. At the same time, the Inselspital is also an historic location in the centre of Bern and demonstrates diversity and interpretability in its public and private spaces. We considered the DNA of the Inselspital site as the foundation for our masterplan and all future planning phases. With the ambition of retaining the historic value while creating a new face for the Inselspital within the city, we sought to put forward a sensitive and holistic strategy for the masterplan.

Spatial aspects
The spatial concept envisages a clearly structured arrangement of areas suitable for buildings, public space and infrastructure. The main recreation and linking areas form the open-space spine of the planned Insel site. The buildings and open space areas worthy of retention and protection are identified in the basic structure.

Several zones are assigned for new buildings. Specific building typologies, heights and therefore development densities are determined from each building's location on the Insel site and its urban planning context. These principles are not to be applied restrictively but rather more with the intention of stimulating specific development.

In collaboration with: GWJ Architekten, Bern (CH)