Opposite Office has proposed to transform the new Berlin airport, under construction since 2006, into a “Superhospital” for coronavirus patients. In an attempt to prepare the healthcare system and increase its capabilities, Opposite Office presented an adaptive reuse alternative, drawing contextual solutions to fight the pandemic.
Suggested to the Ministry of Health, the “Superhospital” concept can be implemented in any airport in the world since traffic is restricted or limited nowadays. Before the pandemic gets out of control in Germany, Benedikt Hartl from Opposite Office has proposed to anticipate the problem and redesign the controversial new Berlin airport in order to prepare for a higher number of infected people.
We have had time to prepare for the pandemic even better since the Wuhan outbreak. There, the Huoshenshan Clinic with a capacity of around 1000 beds was literally "stomped" out of the ground within 10 days. At that time, joking comparisons were made regarding the construction of the new Berlin Airport, which has been under construction since 2006. And today? Today this airport can help us! -- Benedikt Hartl, Opposite Office
Benedikt Hartl considers that, because of the coronavirus situation, the new Berlin airport will not be needed in the near future. Therefore, he imagined converting the structure into a project that can hold a large number of infected people. With the advantage of space and complete isolation, the airport, spread on 1470 ha can guarantee that patients would be completely secluded and would not come into contact with others. Moreover, the main building alone, with an area of 220,000m2, can offer plenty of space for emergency medical care.
Entitled “COVID-19 Superhospital BER”, the building will be equipped with round modular cabins, located at each gate, consisting of simple elements made of steel profiles with planking, put together by booth builders. In order to generate a more pleasant space, a curved round spatial structure creates personal confined spaces for recovery. The fast construction process can allow the facility to be open within a few days.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's coverage related to COVID-19, read our tips and articles on Productivity When Working from Home and learn about technical recommendations for Healthy Design in your future projects. Also, remember to review the latest advice and information on COVID-19 from the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
