Austere and clean forms characterise the winning proposal of the competition for the new buildings of the City of Karlsruhe Medical Centre by von Gerkan, Marg and Partners. Having to fit in a hospital complex with buildings from the 19th century onwards, the proposed buildings are designed to be simple and timeless, as if they were always on the site, forming the focal point of the complex and a link that aesthetically and functionally unites its individual parts in a whole.

Bird‘s eye view. © gmp Architects

Entrance perspective house I. © gmp Architects

Entrance perspective house M. © gmp Architects

Interior view comfort room. © gmp Architects

Perspective main street. © gmp Architects

Site plan. © gmp Architects

City of Karlsruhe Medical Centre: new buildings forming part of the “Klinikum 2015” plan
The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners have won first prize with their design for the new buildings of the Karlsruhe Medical Centre. The competition focused on the 2015 master plan and was open to 15 selected practices. The briefing called for the construction of a new central building in order to give more structure to the hospital precinct – which consists of older buildings from the nineteenth century as well as later additions – and to improve the logistics of the Centre by constructing a new central catering facility and new institute buildings. According to the jury, gmp’s design fits particularly well with the existing buildings of the hospital precinct, while at the same time meeting all functional requirements.

The central building, called “Haus M”, creates a new focal point for the hospital precinct. It contains 24 operating theatres, intensive care units, rooms for medical and functional services, the new central sterilisation unit as well as wards, providing a total net floor space of 20,500 square metres. Together with the buildings for the new central catering facility and the institute building, the total project area measures 27,500 square metres.

Following publication of the competition result, there will now be negotiations with the architects and further selection procedures to appoint engineers and specialist consultants.

Architect: gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner. Competition date: 2012 – 1st prize. Design: Prof. Volkwin Marg. Associate Partner: Christian Hoffmann. Competition: Michael König and Martin Bleckmann. Team Members: Sebastian Möller and Stefan Walter. Client: Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe GmbH.