Viviers Hospital

Programme

The Grand Hospital of Charleroi (GHdC) brings together five healthcare facilities on a single site, making it the largest hospital in Wallonia. Built on the former Viviers coal mining site, it is set within a 10.5-hectare landscaped park, designed to enhance patient well-being. This project combines functional efficiency, flexibility, and the humanization of care, featuring an open architecture filled with natural light, where art and nature are seamlessly integrated to transform the hospital experience. 

About

The Grand Hospital of Charleroi (GHdC) brings together five former hospitals on a single site, making it the largest hospital complex in Wallonia. Built on the former Viviers coal mining site, it is surrounded by a vast 10.5-hectare park, an environment designed to promote healing and well-being. In a temporary partnership, VK architects+engineers and RESERVOIR A have designed a building that harmonizes with the landscape, enhancing physical, emotional, and mental health. The extensive park, designed by Bureau Bas Smet, maximizes the preservation of the site’s biodiversity and serves as an interface with the surrounding neighborhood. 

The hospital complex is highly compact yet avoids the monolithic appearance often associated with large hospitals by incorporating carefully positioned openings. VKRA applies the "layers" logic, a system that subdivides the hospital into functional grids, distinguishing them based on investment costs, performance, flexibility, and adaptability to the real estate market. One of the key challenges of such a large complex was to develop a wayfinding approach that immediately reassures patients and their families. The guiding principle—"feeling at home in the hospital"—led VKRA to a design based on contrasts that optimize the immediate and intuitive understanding of pathways and spaces. This intentional contrast is evident in the façades: those facing the park are made of dark-colored bricks, while those oriented inward, towards courtyards, feature light-colored bricks. 

A similar gradation is observed in the interior design, transitioning from public to private spaces. The more public an area, the more color is incorporated; in contrast, patient rooms, as intimate spaces, feature minimal color, with wood playing a central role. As part of this effort to humanize the hospital environment, thirteen areas were identified for artistic interventions, entrusted to fourteen different artists. The coordination of this large-scale artistic project was led by Pierre Papier Studio, in collaboration with an advisory committee composed of hospital representatives. 

Typology

Santé

Status

Construit

Year of conception

2013

Year of delivery

2024

Client

GHDC

Total budget

549.127.748 €

Per m² budget

3.660€

Constructed area

150.000 m²

More information
https://reservoira.org/project/grand-hopital-de-charleroi-site-des-viviers/