Hospital Mateu Orfila

Maó, Menorca, Spain / Healthcare / 28,000 m²

The site of the new hospital for the capital of Menorca was a large rectangular plot on the edge of the city. The issue of access, which is fundamental in hospital design, was not a problem here given that the site was bounded by two major roads, one of which is the highway that links the city with other municipalities on the island.

The project was approached as a two-level horizontal structure. This solution is much more efficient in terms of daily operations because from a functional point of view, it allows for fluid movement between floors via escalators, thereby decreasing dependence on elevators.

The public, medical, and technical spaces are connected via circulation cores, forming a sequence that establishes restrictions in terms of access. This enhances the clarity of the routes, avoids interferences between the different users, and facilitates hygienic control.