PASTEUR INSTITUT
The Inevitability of Change
Finding Architectural Coherence in a Dynamic Facility
Buildings never exist in their final state. They are constantly evolving to the needs and demands of their inhabitants, and the changing world around them. In Cambodia, this phenomenon occurs on a comparatively quick scale. With less regulation and a rapidly growing economy, Phnom Penh seems to be in a permanent state of renovation and repurposing.
The Institut Pasteur du Cambodge embodies this flux perfectly. As the leading biomedical research center in the country, it was well-positioned to adapt to the dynamic health requirements of travelers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The campus temporarily transformed part of its facility to provide tests and documentation for travelers. Anticipating the need for these services into the future, Bloom was called on to create a permanent travel clinic.
At the same time, Institut Pasteur required an update to their security on site. This double challenge presented an opportunity to rethink the access experience of its varied groups of visitors, who had very different needs and expectations from one another.
Originally built in the 1990s, the site had become cluttered with several incongruent structures. Entry to the older, more solidly-constructed research center had been partially obstructed by the addition of a rabies vaccination clinic, among other basic functional buildings. The travel clinic design needed to be harmonious within the campus, however the whole site demanded architectural coherence.
To integrate the various existing structures,
our focus shifted to transforming the journey between them.
This experience begins on entry, via Monivong Boulevard, one of Phnom Penh’s busiest streets. The security update required the addition of a wall, however we wanted to channel people through the site securely without it feeling overly authoritarian.
The solution was a translucent glass-brick wall, which provides the necessary security without compromising the sense of welcome and trust. Allowing daylight through whilst insulating from the harsh Western sun, the wall also projects invitation by glowing like a lantern in the evening.
By removing several existing shacks inside, we were able to create plazas between the buildings, creating space and buffering the aesthetic disconnection.
The sense of openness continues, as visitors are guided along a covered walkway. The use of breezeblocks, glass, open grilles, and foliage as barriers dissipates any feeling of confinement whilst providing visibility and direction.
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The passage provides a practical solution to security and flow. It also unites the site aesthetically, contributing to the feeling of harmony and wellbeing that is expected from the health services offered.
This recent renovation will by no means be its last. Designing with this in mind allows for more architectural resilience when the institute’s needs inevitably change. As if to prove this point, the permanent travel clinic that was a catalyst for the project has already become redundant. The need for pre-travel testing disappeared as unexpectedly as it arose, and the building will now adapt to its next use, and its next - just as it was designed to do.