The POLIVALENT HOSPITAL BUILDING of the PERE VIRGILI HEALTHCARE PARK / VALL D’HEBRON HOSPITAL is a modular and flexible expansion of the existing healthcare infrastructure in Barcelona. It was built in early 2021 to address emergency situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Its design meets the functional and operational needs of the Pere Virgili Healthcare Park, providing an efficient, compact, and scalable service.

The building was constructed using an industrialized and parametric construction system, involving the off-site manufacturing of 52 modules (13 per floor) measuring 4.98m x 15m, which are assembled on site. The building is located parallel to Esteve Terradas Street, minimizing its impact on the surroundings. Each ICU floor has the capacity for 24 to 36 beds, occupying an area of 972m2.

The building consists of a ground floor for triage services, and three intensive care floors that can function as either emergency or conventional ICUs, depending on the needs. The transition between configurations can be done in just 24 hours without affecting structural elements or installations.

The project is based on the I-COVID PMMT COMPACT HOSPITAL model: a research project developed in response to the global health crisis of 2020. The building incorporates the Flexbrick system as an exterior cladding, which consists of a flexible stainless-steel mesh that allows for continuous and adaptable surfaces to any geometry.

The Flexbrick system offers advantages such as lightweight, durability, ease of assembly and disassembly, fire resistance, and sustainability. Additionally, the Flexbrick system allows for customizing the appearance of the building by choosing different types of ceramic pieces, which can have different colors, shapes, and textures. This way, the building’s appearance can be personalized.