RoMed clinic and kbo Inn Salzach clinic at Wasserburg am Inn

The Royal Bavarian Home for Patients with Nervous Disorders was established as a parkland clinic at Wasserburg am Inn in 1883, when an array of individual buildings and pavilions were erected within around 125 acres of unspoilt countryside. Two separate healthcare institutions are now undergoing a pioneering merger on the site – the somatic RoMed Wasserburg am Inn Clinic with 130 beds and the kbo Inn Salzach Clinic for Psychiatry and Neurology with 528 beds.

It goes without saying that the astute decision to create a common location for the two by comprehensively extending the existing ensemble of buildings greatly benefits patients, who now have access to expertise from the most diverse of spheres. A sustainability-driven decision was moreover made to provide jointly usable function areas such as a laboratory and radiology unit along with a central reception area, a cafeteria and a canteen. Despite the two institutions being housed in separate structures, the jointly used facilities are located in a central connecting section.

The new buildings are articulated in thoroughly contemporary forms and materials whilst nevertheless referencing the architecture of the listed clinical structures predating them on the site. They echo the latters’ flat pavilion style of construction and their three storeys have been slotted into the verdant hilly landscape in such a way as to each be accessible at ground level. The venerable atmosphere of the clinic location has been retained in the process. And the various structures have been cleverly laid out so as to afford a clear view out towards the Alps to the south from each building.

It isn’t just the Alpine views that give a boost to the work put in by the medical staff at Wasserburg either. Therapeutic gardens planted in front of the buildings form an integral part of the treatment regime. The architecture, too, is geared towards engendering a positive, healing effect right down to fine points of detail such as beds placed lengthwise against the wall that are conducive to patients feeling more secure. Horizontal façade banding in the form of ceramic panels wraps itself round each of the new buildings like a unifying curtain. The façade’s green and earthy colouring mirrors the surrounding countryside whilst large expanses of glass effectively bring the natural world into the buildings.

The sections connecting the various units soften the impact of their large overall size and impart an agreeable sense of scale to the undertaking. Opting for handles from the FSB 1070 range was only logical given their restrained, timeless styling. The clients and architects made a unanimous choice for stainless steel finishes that blend in well with the colours and materials adopted for the clinic buildings. The fittings meet the relevant requirements regarding hygiene, health and safety at work, and functionality to the full.

Account was also taken of the need to deter acts of suicide in some areas of the clinic by combining the model with the doorknob selected (suicide-deterrent: FSB 96 7099 lever handle, FSB 96 2399 doorknob). Particular attention was paid to barrier-free solutions. Among other things, the FSB ErgoSystem® with the folding support handle FSB 0 82 8224 08501 6204, the armrest 0 82 8247 00000 6204 and the paper roll holder for support and grab rails 0 82 8245 00000 6204 ensure barrier-free comfort and elegance in the washrooms.