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Affiliated Hospitals Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Surgical-Obstetrical Combined Unit, Floor Plan and Working Drawing

A work made of graphite and ink on vellum.

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  • A work made of graphite and ink on vellum.

Date:

1966

Artist:

Bertrand Goldberg
American, 1913–1997

About this artwork

Goldberg’s research on hospital design allowed him to refine his ideal of “geo-centric” or “nuclear” plans for spaces where patients would receive direct care, including nursing wards, surgery suites, and intensivecare units. At the most basic level, geocentric spaces were planned with a focal point or epicenter that corresponded to a central activity or purpose. In a hospital setting, these designs describe the optimal location of the individual patient’s body within an area of specialized care. For a surgical suite, for example, Goldberg proposed a ring of six egg-shaped operating rooms, ensuring that all movements in the space remained equidistant from the patient (and surgeon), with the residual pie-shaped spaces reserved for scrub stations, supply closets, and observation rooms. Similarly, Goldberg’s radial design for surgical recovery rooms and intensive-care wards ensured uninterrupted lines of sight to the central nursing stations and privacy for patients, a model that provided the basic spatial and functional principles for all of his future hospitals.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Bertrand Goldberg (Architect)

Title

Affiliated Hospitals Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Surgical-Obstetrical Combined Unit, Floor Plan and Working Drawing

Place

Boston (Building address)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Designed 1966

Medium

Graphite and ink on vellum

Dimensions

55.9 × 86.4 cm (22 × 34 in.)

Credit Line

The Archive of Bertrand Goldberg, gifted by his children through his estate

Reference Number

RX23664/3.2

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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