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History:
In 1906, the Hospice Board decided to rebuild the town centre Saint-Pierre
and Saint-Jean hospitals - that had become obsolete - on the outskirts
of the town. The architect's assignment has been entrusted to Victor
HORTA. His initial project covers the site's 18 hectares. Only half
of the programme will be completed due to budgetary restrictions.
The hospital was commissioned in 1923 and since that date, the site
has seen a hotchpotch of additions.
An overall restructuring process is in hand. Its aim is to rehouse
the main hospital functions in new units and to enhance the value
of Victor HORTA's initial composition.
Architecture:
From a financial viewpoint, this socially orientated programme could
not fund the materials nor the facilities that are typical of the
Art Nouveau period and exemplify the private properties built by
HORTA.
The Hospital features an imaginative use of horizontal friezes made
of alternating coloured bricks, together with some elegant ironwork
awnings. The kitchen and chapel buildings stand out through their
monumental design, contrasting with the single-storey hospital units.
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1910
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