The objective of the project is the renovation of the former facilities of the Hospital de la Esperanza to accommodate the new Mental Health and Addiction Center, managed by the Hermanas Hospitalarias of the Hospital Mare de Déu de la Mercè.
The project occupies a space that is physically part of the Hospital de la Esperanza but functionally segregated from it. This space is split across two floors: The upper floor is located at the ground level of the hospital building and features direct access from the exterior. The lower floor is situated in the semi-basement, directly beneath the upper floor but extending beyond the footprint of the ground level, and has its own independent, direct entrance from the outside.
In its previous configuration, both floors belonged to different departments and were only connected through the general vertical circulation core of the Hospital de la Esperanza. Consequently, the renovation includes the creation of a new internal staircase and elevator core, completely dedicated to the Mental Health Center.
The basement level houses the remainder of the program, which is dedicated to the Memory, Behavior, and Dementia Unit. Its main access is located at the end of the ramp descending from Avinguda del Santuari, where the reception and control desk is situated right next to the entrance. To the right, the outpatient dispensing area is compactly arranged, featuring 2 consultation rooms, 1 restroom, and 3 private offices.
To the left of the reception area, there are 10 mental health consultation rooms alongside the main waiting room. The waiting room serves as the most iconic and representative space of the center; its unique character is defined by a sloped ceiling that reaches a height of 4.70 meters, designed to capture and channel the natural light entering through the ribbon of high clerestory windows on the basement level.
Consultation rooms that do not face the exterior facade receive natural light through a glass transom at the top of the interior partitions, while those located along the perimeter utilize the existing glass enclosure to benefit from direct daylight. This successfully achieves one of the project’s primary goals: infusing natural light into as many spaces as possible.
The day center area is divided into a dining room for 25 people and a kitchenette service area located next to the elevator, streamlining the logistics and movement of medical carts and supplies.
Finally, the three existing diagnostic testing bunkers have been completely renovated to house three activity and therapy rooms—one linked directly to the day center and the other two dedicated to the mental health consultation rooms.
