Hospital de Sant Pau, UNESCO World Heritage hospital complex in El Guinardó, Spain.
Hospital de Sant Pau is a complex of twelve interconnected brick pavilions in El Baix Guinardó, Barcelona, now used as a museum and cultural site. The individual buildings stand in a garden and are linked by underground passages that once moved patients and staff between the medical sections.
The complex was built between 1902 and 1930 following designs by Lluís Domènech i Montaner as a replacement for several medieval hospitals that had merged since 1401. After decades as a working hospital, the site was restored in the 2000s and opened for cultural purposes.
The name honors Saint Paul, and the pavilions display colored ceramic tiles and glass windows that fill the interiors with light. Visitors see today how this design originally aimed to support patient well-being by bringing together nature and art.
The museum section opens in winter between 10:00 and 16:30, and in summer until 18:30, with shorter hours on Sundays. The passages and gardens are mostly level and easy to walk, making most areas accessible.
The architect planned the streets diagonally to the Barcelona city grid so the pavilions could receive more sun and fresh air. Today the site also houses offices of international organizations such as the World Health Organization and UN-HABITAT.
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