Hospital da Luz – Clínica de Vila Franca de Xira

The site and building volume correspond exactly to the outpatient and emergency services building of the former Vila Franca de Xira District Hospital.
The design approach for the new building sought to address, simultaneously, the organisation of the programme, the image the building projects onto the public space, and its integration into the urban context.
The proposed solution retains the footprint and volume of the existing building, but takes a different form, with a series of alterations that give it greater unity and result in better use of the interior space. We have improved access at street level, prioritised pedestrians and redesigned the pavement area adjacent to the building near the main entrance.
The various functional areas have been distributed across the different floors according to the specific characteristics and requirements of each, in line with the existing spatial constraints. Level -1 is almost entirely underground and Level 0 is partially underground on the side opposite the main entrance. For this reason, and despite it being the access level, we have located the Imaging Center on Level 0, to make better use of this space which lacks natural light and to ensure easier access in the event of future equipment replacement.
The volume replicates the ‘L’ shape of the existing building, with the difference that the former open-plan area at the Outpatient Department entrance was supported by columns and is now supported by a cantilever, thereby creating a sort of drop-off area in front of the public entrance without restricting the circulation space.
The façades combine natural stone and glass: the stone, in contact with the ground, forms the plinth that supports the glazed volume and resolves the difference in level between the upper and lower streets. The difference in levels between the two materials, combined with the detail of the stonework, creates an interplay of volumes and shadows that reinforces the overall expression of the complex.
The treatment of the public space was central to the project, enhancing the pedestrian character of Rua Vasco da Gama and adapting the topography to the new entrance level.