Pourtalès Hospital

Functional and innovative, in an urban setting, the ambitious project integrates the history of the site and the hospital’s development. To the south, the curved facade responds to the surrounding public buildings. To the north, the facade divided into 4 parts integrates into the residential fabric. The complex phasing of the work made it possible to keep the acute care hospital operational during the 6 years of construction. 1st stage – October 2001: building C4 (4 operating theatres, 3 delivery rooms, 1 pediatric unit, 3 care units). Completed for operation: summer 2005.

New requirements

Built in 1811, the Pourtalès hospital had for years been suffering from the poor state of repair and the limited size of its premises. Its neighbor, Cadolles hospital, built in 1914, was in a similar condition. Given the need for complete restructuring, the city’s general council approved funds in 1955 for the creation of a master plan enabling the realization of a new hospital structure.  The site chosen was that of the Pourtalès hospital. Situated close to the city center and with good transport links, it benefits from close access to the rail and motorway networks. The reuse of this site is all the more appropriate as it enables collaboration with other competence centers situated in the vicinity and the use of the existing protected operating center, which represents considerable savings in terms of construction costs.

The New Pourtalès Hospital (NHP)

The opening of an architectural competition with the aim of building a new hospital took place in 1988. The winning project by the Robert Monnier firm, assisted by Messrs Laurent Geninasca and Pierre-Emmanuel Schmid from the Monnier office in Neuchâtel proposed a building in the shape of a curve of more than 160 meters in lenght embracing the topography of the natural terrain. A clear setting, between lake and hill, which – through the impressive dimensions of the building – defines the development of the neighboring quarters.

In order to obtain a guarantee concerning the costs and the timing, the contracting authority decided to round off the team of architects with the tk3 SA office (today Burckhardt + Partner SA) in Lausanne, with Jean-Daniel Fehr as Project Manager, and the general contractor Zschokke SA (today Implenia SA) Neuchâtel under its Works Director Mr Serge Minger.

11 units for 200 beds

Fulfilling the modern criteria both in terms of medical equipment and of premises and organization, the hospital will be able to receive roughly 10,000 inpatients and some 40,000 outpatients for ambulatory  consultation each year. With a capacity of 200 beds spread over 140 rooms, the program features 11 care units. Three are dedicated to medicine, three to surgery, two to gynecology and obstetrics, one to pediatrics, one to short-term inpatient stays and one to intensive care. In terms of equipment, the hospital has also three operating theatres, small operating rooms, four delivery rooms, an X-ray department that is now clean, an emergency service, a laboratory and a pharmacy. A personnel restaurant, various technical and administrative services as well as covered and open surface parking round off the needs of the program.

Architecture and technical installations

The hospital has two main facades. To the south, the most dynamic opens out onto the lake whilst the other, to the north, divides the four building parts thus offering integration into the neighborhood and relates to the hill. The building rises with a base clad in natural stone housing jointly used premises. The 1st floor is occupied by the medical technology level, the second by the examination units, intensive care and emergencies. Floors 3 to 5 group the care units of various departments. Adorned with extensive vegetation, the roof concentrates the technical rooms of the upper floor, the library and the jointly used premises. This level also features a helicopter landing pad.

The traditional construction is based on a structure of walls, pillars and paving stones in reinforced concrete. The 4 building parts are linked on the basement floors by a horizontal technical tunnel. Nevertheless, they have independent technical central units on the ground floor and on the roof linked by vertical shafts. The technical installations are covered for emergency operation by two stand-by electrical generators and by a cogeneration power unit installed in the remote heating room. The premises are heated primarily by radiators.

A hotel atmosphere

On the outside, the project concept makes a clear distinction between three sectors : To the southwest, the technical world with the access to emergencies and deliveries, to the southeast, the visitor’s car park adorned by tree plantation, to the north, the public garden developed on the staff car park which integrates the hospital into the residential neighborhood of Clos-Brochet.

On the inside, a relationship has been established with the fully renovated 1811 building, which has become the new entrance to the hospital, and the four new parts articulated around the entrance hall and the elevator tower. The horizontal flows are regularly punctuated with views to allow intuitive orientation. Particular attention has been paid to the rooms which are situated on the last three floors and look out at the lake or the park. They all have one or two beds and an integrated bathroom and form units with a human dimension and a hotel atmosphere.  As an extension of the picture windows, a balcony offers patients or their family or friends a « change of air ».

In stages

After a long inquiry procedure delayed by political decisions and oppositions, the construction of the hospital was planned over a period of six years and spread out over several stages from March 1999 to May 2005. In spring of 1999, a start was made with the excavation of part 4 where the rocky terrain was removed by use of explosives. In October 2001, the inauguration of the first stage took place followed by the development of part 4 and the demolition of the old maternity section. Winter 2001-2002, excavation work for parts 1 to 3 and the underground car park. From spring 2002 to summer 2003, realization of load bearing structure of parts 1 to 3.  Summer 2004, renovation of the 1811 building to be linked to the new one – maintaining the original facades but demolishing and totally reconstructing the interior. Winter 2004 to spring 2005, completion work on the 1811 building and on May 5, official inauguration of the overall complex.

The construction work on the NHP had to cope with the difficulty of keeping the existing hospitals in operation with their care units being progressively replaced by those of the new facility. This made it possible to move sectors one by one as in the planned stages, and then demolish the old and build the new. Good planning and coordination of the construction contributed to the success of this operation within the agreed time frame and the respected budget limit.    

The figures

Cost of construction : CHF 162 million 

SIA volume : 156'000 m3

Gross floor surface : 35'000 m2