The paper is an introduction to a broader study, aimed to define the rules of procedure for taking preservation activities in historic hospital architecture. It has, among others, to facilitate the modernization of historic hospitals necessary to carry out in accordance with the requirements set by the legislature, the latest medical technologies and contemporary doctrines and principles of conservation. The article is based on the analysis of the latest solutions implemented in selected hospitals including the historic hospitals in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Lodz. The analysis of proven solutions in conjunction with the collected experiences from other selected projects are the starting material for the definition of a strategy of historic preservation activities in historic hospitals and the development of guidelines assisting in their implementation.
In their long history, hospitals have undergone numerous transformations, both in terms of function and organization, as well as architecture and space. At first they served as shelters for pilgrims, the homeless and the ailing poor. It was not until the turn of the 18th century and 19th century that they began to be understood as organized public institutions devoted solely to the purpose of curing the sick. At the same time, first European clinics began to emerge, which combined the didactic function of universities of medicine with the medicinal function of an ordinary hospital. Until today, there have survived the majority of 19th century European hospital buildings. Many of them still boast a clear composition of spatial structure and valuable forms of architectural detail. Development in medicine, however, has brought about an evolution in health care and consequently functional and spatial programs of hospitals have also began to change. Today, many historical European hospitals experience substantial problems connected with the adaptation to new requirements in terms of equipment necessary in modern-day medicine. Is therefore the passing of historical hospital architecture unavoidable…?
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