renzo piano's greek hospitals embrace nature to aid rehabilitation

renzo piano Building workshop plans hospitals in greece

Renzo Piano is collaborating with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) on three state-of-the-art public hospital facilities in Greece. In 2017, SNF launched an ambitious initiative to support the Greek National Health System, which includes the conception of hospital infrastructure to deliver quality medical care in underserved regions of the country. Undertaking this project, the Italian architect and his team at Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) have delivered the two-winged modular designs of the SNF General Hospitals of Sparta and Komotini, and the SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki. Utilizing renewable energy resources such as photovoltaic panels and geothermal systems, and principles of energetic and social sustainability, the three projects embrace a holistic approach centered around rehabilitation and medical excellence. The architects seamlessly integrate the structures into their natural contexts and additional open gardens and patios, embracing the holistic healing qualities of the natural environment for aiding patient well-being.

SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki | all images courtesy Renzo Piano Building Workshop

open gardens foster holistic rehabilitation

Scheduled for delivery in 2025, the three hospitals of the Health Initiative envision a new, enriched standard, carried out with exclusive support from SNF, with a current budget of about $750 million. The initiative is founded on an extensive public-private partnership between SNF, the Hellenic Ministry of Health and other competent bodies of the Greek state, as each of its projects will be handed over to the Greek public upon their individual completion. Drawing on the ancient Greek Asklepeion temples that once served as centers for physical and spiritual healing, Renzo Piano’s designs place a key emphasis on nature, light and ventilation to enhance patients’ rehabilitation and aid their wellbeing. Both patients and the visiting public are able to roam the various interactive healing areas such as open parks, gardens, playgrounds and patios, incorporated to take advantage of the holistic ‘healing powers of nature’. Further, throughout both the internal public and clinical spaces, the architects at RPBW immerse the facilities in nature employing abundant natural light and ventilation to foster a serene, rehabilitative environment. Transparent surfaces and vertical openings root the structures in the surrounding landscapes, reinforcing a sense of orientation for patients, their families, and hospital staff.

Renzo Piano composes the SNF University Paediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki as three structures that extend over two plots with overground and underground connections, working together in an innovative campus design. The structures blend seamlessly into a newly planted woodland which will assimilate the site’s natural habitat with the newly incorporated interactive playgrounds and healing gardens. Likewise, the SNF General Hospital of Komotini will be encompassed by a dense forest with 1,200 trees and newly added therapeutic gardens, which patients and staff can enjoy views of throughout the hospital, from the treatment spaces to the operating rooms. With the SNF General Hospital of Sparta, also immersed in nature, the architects incorporate a sensory park, gardens and trees. A relationship between the buildings and surrounding natural environment is ensured, while users of the space enjoy the benefits of natural light and the open views of the surrounding Laconian landscape.

SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Komotini

an environmentally conscious healthcare initiviate

Driven by the principles of environmental sustainability — an integral factor in Renzo Piano’s designs — the three SNF hospitals are set to break new ground in their energy efficiency, aiming to achieve LEED Platinum certification and near carbon neutrality. With the potential to establish the project as one of the most energy-efficient hospitals in its class, the architects employ timber for the design elements and structural frame, and garner renewable electric and heat energy on site. Photovoltaic roof panels generate the majority of the hospital’s electricity, while geothermal systems support 100% of the heating. In parallel, the hospitals will also digitize clinical services and introduce paperless administration, future-proofing the hospitals while serving as catalysts for the entire Greek National Health System.

SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki will be encompassed by a dense forest and therapeutic gardens