[What does a hospital building tell?].
Hospital architecture may be seen as an artistic expression and interpreted as such. In general, architecture is more dependent than other form of art on external forces: The requested function of the building normally puts important constraints on the implementation of architectural ideas. In addition, buildings are often rebuilt and altered in ways that make a retrospective analysis of the basic ideas behind them difficult. Hospital buildings usually reflect the state of the art of medicine at the time of construction or reconstruction, and their architecture should be interpreted in the light of the medical setting of the time. Other elements and influences, such as general views on health and sickness, religion, economy, style etc. should also be taken into consideration. This article discusses examples that show some of the possible pitfalls when we attempt to give a cultural interpretation of hospital buildings. The conflict between charity and rationality seems to be a basic problem in modern hospitals, an example is given where this conflict is reflected in the architecture.
Larsen
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Universitetet i Oslo, Institutt for allmenn- og samfunnsmedisin, Postboks 1130 Blindern, 0317 Oslo. oivind.larsen@samfunnsmed.uio.no
D001108:Architecture / Q000266:history; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction / Q000266:history*; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D009664:Norway; D014481:United States
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