ABSTRACT
The USA came to the forefront of hospital design in the 1950s, while Europe gradually recovered from the devastation of war. The sharp geometry of the tall office towers in the USA, ideas of efficient Taylorist work practices, inspiration from the car industry, the discovery of new materials and advances in construction technology influenced the design of housing, schools and hospitals. Until the 1980s many hospitals had deep plans, based on the idea that the best air and lighting for patients was delivered via tubes and wires. The compartmentalised plans of these hospitals look like packed bento lunch boxes. The U-shaped corridor Mother of Mercy Hospital started as an 80-bed Catholic mission hospital in 2008, and now has grown into a 435-bed sole referral hospital for a region the size of Austria with a population of one million.
