St. Jozef Health Care Center
Frontal view of cut facade and ceramic wall
St. Jozef, a monastery dating from the 1950’s is being transformed into a health care centre. The architectural interventions set up a dialogue with the existing characteristics of the complex.
The architectonical interventions set up a dialogue with three major aspects of the building; the structure of the complex around the gardens, the sacral identity of the building and the catholic brick-hiding-the-underlying-concrete-architecture from the 1950’s. Apart from the two existing gardens, in which the former monastery garden reclaims its central position, the design provides a new ‘basement garden’ in the heart of the complex which allows the basement to become commercially exploitable.
The design reveals what was to be hidden in the 50’s; the monastery is in fact a contemporary building with modern techniques. By making a hard-cut section in one of the buildings, the true concrete core that was once hidden from the world by a layer of brick, emerges. The exposure of the concrete behind the brick façade is carried on as a design motive in for example the wall of the lower extension of the ‘blood bank’ and in the concrete exterior of the waiting rooms. New artwork is added by Berend Strik.
Several publications on Health Centre Jozef have been released. Please click on the following links to download:
NRC Handelsblad, July 17 2009 Download
De Architect, July-August 2009 Download
Architectuur NL, December 2009 Download
