Designed by Carlos Martinez Architekten, The design of the Ophthalmic Clinic was focused around importance of the historic heritage of the site. Wherein the battle of Vögelinsegg in 1403, the people from Appenzell, Switzerland attained their independence. Out of this significance, a rock-like volume was developed that reminds of the steadiness of earlier times.
Photography: Petra Rainer
The building towers neatly above the terrain edge and opens itself towards the lake of Constance. Despite its remarkable size, the black-coloured building represses itself and at the same time follows the slope?s topography with three kinks. The stacked surface of the dark pigmented fair-faced concrete strengthens the stone-liked character of the house form. The compactness of the building dematerializes in the middle part through a horizontally running window belt. The entire hospital is located in this section. The glazing provides a rhythmical structuring of the façade and gives the building a clear appearance and a kind of lightness. All rooms for therapy and patients as well as the new equipped OPs are located in the north and provide outlooks without conceding insights. Room-high windows offer natural lightning conditions and visually draw in the environment into the inside of the building. Electronic tintable glass can be used at the push of a button and allow ? especially for sensitive eyes ? to dim out the room.
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