The expansion project for St. Sofia General Hospital for Active Treatment on Bulgaria Blvd. in Sofia is one of the most ambitious in the healthcare field in the country for the last few years. To realize this architectural undertaking, IPA followed the key concept of creating a modern, aesthetic, and multifunctional environment supporting people's health. The building is remarkable with its clear lines and elegance.
The "Corpus 2" project is a natural expansion of a hospital that had been operating for 13 years back. It seeks to effectively offer more functions and spaces that meet the patients' needs as well as the growing demand for healthcare reform. The building has eight floors and two underground levels and the connection between them happens through a communication core located centrally.
The concept for the building was inspired by the human lungs – when viewed in the plan, the building resembles that shape. The reference to this part of the body is also significant - the goal of this building is to breathe in a new and innovative way and lead local medicine in a fresh direction.
The proximity to the mountain also plays an essential role in the decision of the functional program, striving to reveal a view of Vitosha mountain, which, curiously, is often called the "lungs of the capital".
The light, the white color, the clean and neat surfaces, and the open spaces play a major role in the project decision. All these characteristics are associated with cleanliness, health, and hope, directly related to the function of the building.
The building has a suspended facade. It delivers an organic entry into the richly urbanized environment while preserving parts of its style with rounded and flowing forms.
The project complies with modern quality requirements in the field of health care. Corpus 2 offers highly specialized medical care and long-term treatment and rehabilitation activities. It includes a diagnostics center, 7 operating rooms, a hemodialysis center, a resuscitation area, and a total of 393 hospital beds.
The floors accommodate hospital wards, surgical rooms, laboratories, service rooms, and all other necessary units. A luxurious restaurant is located on the top floor. The roof of the building is partially landscaped, with an energy center in a designated area, that includes all the necessary equipment for actions related to air conditioning, ventilation, and heat production of the building.
