Architecture at the service of care: France-USA Memorial Hospital of Saint-Lô

Authors

  • Donato Severo École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture Paris-Val de Seine image/svg+xml

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52200/62.A.R3O24KOL

Keywords:

Modern Movement, Modern architecture, Modern housing

Abstract

The France-USA Memorial Hospital in Saint-Lô, Normandy (1948-1965), is known as one of the most relevant French Reconstruction projects. It is the first important work crafted by the French-American architect, Paul Nelson (1895-1979). His humanist approach inspired a series of unprecedented, meaningful and technical architectural innovations. The organization of the new hospital, based on functionality and modernity; polychromic and artistic inclusion; extended high-quality work, notably the "claustra" façade; ovoid surgical rooms and technical equipment are testimonies to the major quality and innovation pursued in the Memorial Hospital project. Paul Nelson’s work brings into focus the rich and comprehensive relationship between architecture, arts and care.

How to Cite

Severo, D. (2021). Architecture at the service of care: France-USA Memorial Hospital of Saint-Lô. Docomomo Journal, (62), 60–67. https://doi.org/10.52200/62.A.R3O24KOL

Published

2021-08-31

Issue

No. 62 (2020): Cure and Care

Section

Essays

License

Copyright (c) 2020 Donato Severo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Plaudit

Author Biography

Donato Severo, École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture Paris-Val de Seine

Architect and historian, Doctor in History of architecture - University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. He is an HDR (research supervising) professor, at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris Val de Seine. He is member of the EVCAU Laboratory and ICT – Université de Paris Research Laboratory.

References

NELSON, Paul, “Hôpital Mémorial France-Etats-Unis de Saint-Lô”, Techniques Hospitalières, No. 33, Paris, June 1948, 25.

NELSON, Paul, “Collaboration artistes architectes”, interview à Paul Nelson, Melpomène, Paris, 16 December 1964.

RILEY, Terence, ABRAM, Joseph, The filter of Reason. Work of Paul Nelson, New York, Columbia Books of architecture, Rizzoli, 1990, 152.

SEVERO, Donato, “L’imaginaire de la lucidité. L’hôpital Mémorial France – Etats-Unis de Saint-Lô (1948-1956) Architecte: Paul Nelson”, Faces, automne 2000, No. 48, Genève, 2000, 56-63.

SEVERO, Donato, “L’hôpital mémorial France-Etats-Unis de Saint-Lô. Une opération exemplaire de la Reconstruction”, De la ville perdue à la ville reconstruite, acte du Colloque de Saint-Lô, Caen, Presse Universitaire de Caen, 29, 30 September–1 October 2004, Université de Caen, 2008, 52-72.

SEVERO, Donato, Paul Nelson. Edition du Patrimoine, Centre des Monuments Historiques, 2013, Paris, 192.

SEVERO, Donato, Paul Nelson et l’Hôpital de Saint-Lô. Humanisme, art et architecture, Paris, Picard Editions, 2015, 256.

SEVERO, Donato, “Architecture, art et santé. Le Centre hospitalier d’Arles par Paul Nelson”, Monumental: Revue scientifique et technique des monuments historiques, No. 2, Paris, Editions du Patrimonie, 2015, 32-35.

SEVERO, Donato, “Polychromie thérapeutique et architecture. La collaboration entre Fernand Léger et Paul Nelson”, Fernand Léger. Malerei im Raum, Catalogue de l’exposition, Cologne, Hirmer Verlag, 2016, 130-160.

SEVERO, Donato, “Fernand Léger et Paul Nelson. La Couleur, l’architecture et la santé”, L’été 1954 à Biot. Architecture, formes, couleur, catalogue de l’exposition, Paris, Réunion des Musée nationaux – Grand Palais, Biot 25 June-26 September 2016, 108-114.