23.03.2026

Built commitment for Myanmar

Building design

A hill on the side of the village facing away from the sea was chosen as the location for the hospital in Magyizin, Myanmar. Thanks to its elevated position, the building also serves as a safe retreat during tropical storms and tsunamis. Photo: Oliver Gerhartz

Health is enshrined as a human right in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In concrete terms, this means that all people must have access to healthcare. For our highly developed Western industrialized societies, this is generally the norm. However, poor countries like Myanmar are often still a long way from this. With a new hospital building that transforms traditional construction methods into a contemporary design language, a+r Architekten are making a significant contribution to ensuring that the people of Magyizin, a remote village in the Bay of Bengal, have faster and better access to medical care. The project, which is currently also providing medical care to people injured in the recent political unrest, won the AIT Award 2020.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is the second largest country in Southeast Asia with a population of around 53 million. After many years of military dictatorship, it remains one of the least developed countries in the world. Still in very troubled political waters and often hit by natural disasters such as cyclones, floods or earthquakes, more than a quarter of the population in Myanmar live in poverty. In addition, there is currently the Covid-19 pandemic. Medical care is not available throughout the country and standards are very low. For example, Myanmar has a very high maternal and infant mortality rate.

Architecture projects on behalf of the NGO

The non-governmental organization Projekt Burma e. V. has set itself the goal of improving the living conditions of people affected by poverty in Myanmar. “Helping people to help themselves” is the motto of the association, which Marion Mück founded in Filderstadt near Stuttgart in 2009. Together with local partners, Projekt Burma e. V. has already implemented various projects in the areas of education, health, water and hygiene as well as disaster prevention. One of these is the high school in Thazin, which opened in 2014. The school is the first building that a+r architects have designed on behalf of the NGO and were able to help realize on site.

There is a lack of access to healthcare

At the opening of the high school in Thazin, the mayor and two community members from the village of Magyizin approached the association. They had traveled six hours by fishing boat to ask for help in person. They urgently described their plight with medical care. Their existing health station was dilapidated and completely inadequately equipped. The nearest hospital was over three hours away by moped, which is unreasonable for seriously ill or heavily pregnant women. After visiting the site, the association’s board decided that hospital construction should be the next joint project.

Extensive room program

After almost five intensive years of planning, fundraising, material procurement and construction, the hospital was officially opened in February 2020. With its 20 beds, a fully equipped operating theater, a delivery room and a laboratory, it now serves as a central hospital for around 20 communities and 20,000 people. On the initiative of Projekt Burma e.V., a large part of the hospital equipment came by container from Germany and was donated by local institutions and doctors.

A hill on the side of the village facing away from the sea was chosen as the location for the new building. Thanks to its elevated position, the building also serves as a safe retreat in the event of tropical storms and tsunamis. a+r Architekten developed a single-storey atrium house for the main building. The sheltered inner courtyard is the heart of the building, serving as both a lounge and communal space. The patient rooms, treatment and staff rooms and the medication dispensary are grouped around it. The waiting area is outdoors and is designed to minimize the transmission of disease. The linear adjoining wing with its striking monopitch roof is accessible via an arcadeSkeleton constructionReinforced concreteWindowsShadeFolding shuttersVentilation louvresFirstCross-ventilation control centerCentralcontrol center: A control center is a device that acts as a control center for various alarm devices in security technology. It receives and processes signals from monitoring devices and triggers an alarm if necessary. pool in the inner courtyard. In the event of heavy downpours, the water can run off via the surface in a controlled manner. A young tree in the middle of the pool will provide additional shade in a few years’ time. As part of the construction of the new hospital, the Myanmar government also financed a house for doctors and nursing staff. The village of Magyizin is thus developing into a health center for the entire region. With the corona epidemic, the hospital is also being used as an official quarantine center. Since the outbreak of the recent political unrest in Myanmar, many people injured in the protests, mostly young people, have been treated at the Burma Hospital.

1st prize at the AIT Award

“This small hospital combines pragmatic and spatial programmatic aspects with a ‘culture of place’ in a remarkable way. Its character is characterized by a noble appropriateness and the consideration of local construction techniques. What is more remarkable here is that planners from outside the region have shown the conceptual and socio-political empathy that often degenerates into folkloristic attitudes in similar projects in Asia or Africa.” This was the verdict of the jury for the AIT Architecture Award 2020, which the trade journal AIT has been presenting to outstanding building construction and interior design projects since 2012. The Burma Hospital was awarded 1st prize in the health/care category. “We are very proud that our project convinced the jury and that our commitment and that of the Projekt Burma association has been recognized,” explains Julia Raff from a+r Architekten. “We very much hope that the hospital in Magyizin will become a successful building block for healthcare in Myanmar and that the association will be able to start many more meaningful activities on site.”

Data + facts

Project: Project Burma Hospital
Location: Magyizin, Myanmar
Planning office: a+r Architekten GmbH
Client: Project Burma e. V.
Construction supervision and project management: Project Burma e. V.
Planning and construction period: 2015-2019, opening February 2020
Construction costs: approx. 360,000 USD, financed by donations
Built-up area: 767 sqm
Usable area: 515 sqm

About a+r architects

a+r Architekten stand for solid, environmentally friendly and future-oriented architecture with convincing expertise in the field of sustainable construction – also in existing buildings. Founded in 1985 by Prof. Gerd Ackermann and Prof. Hellmut Raff, the office with offices in Stuttgart and Tübingen has around 100 employees and is now headed by Prof. Hellmut Raff, Oliver Braun, Florian Gruner, Alexander Lange and Walter Fritz. a+r Architekten primarily build for public clients, industry and commerce, for municipal housing companies and for social institutions. The office focuses on appropriate, ecological, functional and, as a result, innovative construction methods and has been awarded prestigious prizes for this: most recently with the DAM Prize 2020, Exemplary Building 2020, “best architects 2020” and 1st place in the Competitionline Ranking 2019/20 as the most successful competition office in the German-speaking world.

www.aplusr.de

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12.12.2024

Industry news

#BeautySalonVanGoghMuseum

Building design

How the barber came to the museum: Last Wednesday, January 19, 2022, more than 70 museums, concert halls and theaters in the Netherlands protested against the ongoing closure of cultural institutions with unusual actions. In this way, the institutions drew attention to the unequal treatment of the cultural sector during the corona pandemic, as stores, hairdressers and gyms remained open. This is how […]

In particular, the strict ban on cultural events since December 19, 2021 has met with resistance in the Netherlands. To express their protest, numerous museums therefore briefly opened for special events last Wednesday, January 19, 2022. In Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, for example, nail artists were able to show off their skills, while other museums offered yoga classes, haircuts and manicures. Concert organizers also joined the unusual protest. Without further ado, the venerable Concertgebouw was transformed into a “Kapsalon Concertgebouw”, where you could also have your hair cut during a rehearsal of the symphony orchestra led by conductor Susanna Malkki! An unusual performance that met with great approval from the audience. Charles Ives’ Symphony Number 2 was played. “We don’t understand it and there is no justification for it, because in the last two years we have shown that it is very, very safe to go to a concert or a museum,” emphasized Simon Reinink, the director of the Concertgebouw.

Across the street at the Van Gogh Museum, visitors were offered manicures, beard care and a professional haircut at the same time under the hashtag #BeautySalonVanGoghMuseum , while viewing paintings by Vincent van Gogh. “We want to emphasize that it is safe to visit the museum,” commented Emilie Gordenker, the museum’s director since February 2020. “This is definitely something completely new at the Van Gogh Museum”. The museum director also adds: “More and more people are visiting museums in search of spiritual depth and the meaning of life, among other things. We also need a ‘mental’ gym!”. The area of ‘mental health’ is just as relevant for our museum, especially because of Van Gogh’s own mental state.”

Manicure, beard care and a professional haircut

Many institutions in the capital took part in the protests in this way. They all found it unfair that cultural institutions had to close during the lockdown, while stores, hairdressers and gyms remained open. On January 16, 2022, the one-month lockdown was eased in the Netherlands, allowing hairdressers, gyms and stores to reopen. Cultural institutions, on the other hand, were to remain closed.

Creative resistance on the part of cultural institutions

Gunay Uslu from the Dutch Ministry of Culture showed understanding for the protests, but urged caution. She wrote on Twitter: “There are creative protests on the part of cultural institutions. I understand this cry for help and that artists also want to show all the beautiful things they have to offer us, but the easing of the lockdown must take place step by step. Culture is right at the top of the agenda for us.” The government therefore held out the prospect of any easing of the strict coronavirus measures for January 25, 2022 at the earliest.

Reading tip: As of this week, solo self-employed cultural workers in Germany, including freelance restorers, can apply for Restart Aid 2022. They receive support that is not linked to operating expenses. Applications for Neustarthilfe 2022 in the funding period from January to March are now open. Read more here.

22.01.2025

Industry news

Craftsmanship and restoration – Restauro 8/23

Building design

Craftsmen learn historical plastering techniques and much more in various training courses to become a restorer in the trade. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / BHD Propstei Johannesberg

Monuments and works of art must be preserved and maintained in the long term. But what new products and digital solutions are currently available for conservators, for the preservation of monuments and for everyone involved in the preservation of cultural assets? And how do craftsmanship and science interact here? For example, the maintenance and restoration of listed buildings combines architectural history and building tradition with knowledge of the properties of historical building materials, modern technologies and environmentally friendly materials.

In times of war, terror and great uncertainty, positive news is balm for the soul. Especially when it comes to the restoration profession, there are many good prospects. Even if supply chain bottlenecks, interest rate hikes and a shortage of skilled workers have left many craft businesses in a tailspin, this does not apply to companies working in the preservation of historical monuments. Surveys of restorers in the trade have even shown that there will be a significant increase in work in the preservation and restoration of historic buildings compared to the decline in employment in the new construction sector. Another finding is that traditional craft businesses working in the preservation of historical monuments find it easier to find trainees. Statements that give hope. After all, cultural heritage must be preserved and maintained in the long term. This development is reflected in the newly regulated further training course to become a certified “Restorer in the trades – Master Professional for restoration in the trades”.

In the new issue, you can also find out which further training courses are available for tradespeople to learn skills for which there is usually no room in training, such as historical plastering techniques or gilding.

It is not only young people who are interested in conserving important works of art; it is also a fascinating task for stone sculptors, which often goes hand in hand with the desire to complete further training as a conservator. This is what happened to Heinrich Bauer-Bornemann. We show how he restored the epithaph for Heinrich von Bila in Merseburg Cathedral from scratch.

Preserving and restoring old buildings and the energy transition – these two goals do not have to be contradictory! In RESTAURO 8/23, you can find out how the energy transition can also be achieved in the field of monument preservation. It shows that vacuum insulation glass available on the market can be used to upgrade almost any existing window to low-energy house standards with very good heat transfer coefficients.

We also look at a particularly sensitive topic that is more topical than ever: how Germans deal with their history in relation to the Holocaust. We spoke to Matthias Weniger, curator of medieval sculptures and paintings at the Bavarian National Museum, about a very special (and hopefully soon possible again) trip to Israel. In his luggage: lots of silver.

The magazine is available here in the store.

We hope you enjoy discovering this issue.

RESTAURO editorial team

In RESTAURO 7/23, we looked at the topic of “Museums for the future”.Read more here in the editorial.