The Oncopole project appealed to Algeria's traditional architectural charm and wisdom to accommodate a place for itself within the landscape of such a legendary Mediterranean city as Oran. Located near the Oran University of Science and Technology, on a plot of irregular polygonal geometry.
In the city of Oran, and in general in Algeria, the access to diagnosis and oncological treatment is difficult. This project is committed to healthcare, with the best medical equipment and team, of the highest quality and technologie for the care of oncological patients.
The architectural solution proposes a respectful insertation in the location in volume and shape. The careful and serene aspect of its façade makes it a small jewel of peace within the movement of the city, enhanced by the inner courtyard that the whole Centre enjoys.
The project was designed with crystalline volumetry, in coherence with the geometric arrangement of the plot. From the beginning, the building was devised with the idea of developing ample space around a central courtyard. A courtyard imagined as to deliver light and scope to the core of the building. The central void organizes the visitors' flow and provides adequate places for rest and connection within the courtyard, the heart of the building, and offers crossed views of the interior spaces.
A vital highlight of the project was the treatment of light in space. Inside the building, light tones chosen for the coatings predominate, favouring a bright atmosphere and providing tranquillity and serenity. The light is shadowed so that we have different levels of lighting depending on the use of each space.
Starting from an intervention abroad, in which it is essential to understand the culture we are working for, so different from the European one, we have gathered many of the aspects of the Maghreb culture, such as protection, respect, risk, courage, and we have translated it into a clean and quality architectural language, understandable by all.
The project has trained technical staff, sharing knowledge, experiences and exchanging cultures, something that has been very enriching. Spanish, algerian, french, belgian and swiss technicians, among others, have formed this team without which it would not have been possible.
Through the building's skin, we were able to formulate the project's limits. We worked continuously to provided the building with a strong identity, coherence and to make it easily identifiable. The facades function as long planes that work through a hierarchical composition throughout the different scales of perception. Elements of traditional Mediterranean architecture, such as the Algerian "musharabia", were reinterpreted in a contemporary way, to link the building to the culture of the place.
The materiality of the project is resolved through three elements that are combined in a fluid and alternating manner: the opaque element, the perforated element and the transparent element.
This skin is materialised by a ventilated façade in ultra high-performance concrete, resolving three totally different elements with the same material: opaque elements, with a compact and smooth texture; perforated elements, translucent to the light; and transparent elements, with large openings that catch the eye from the outside. This makes it possible to obtain multiple configurations that respond to the functional needs of the interior, following a strict façade modulation.
Material Used:
Facade cladding: Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC)
Flooring: Local white Marble, Tarkett vinyl floor iQ Toro SC
Doors: High pressure laminated (HPL) with high strength aluminum frame
Windows: Aluminum Exlabesa
Roofing: Gravel
Interior lighting: Arkoslight, Jung
Interior furniture: General Electric, Elekta, Inmoclinc
