Healthcare Design and Landscape Restoration in Umbria Region

After seven years of work, the detailed design for the new Narni–Amelia Hospital has been completed. The project brings together healthcare infrastructure and territorial regeneration through the redevelopment of a former quarry site

With more than 21,000 sqm of built area, 140 beds and 3 operating theatres and an Emergency Room, the new facility is conceived as a Territorial Hospital, designed to ensure continuity of care and strong integration with the wider healthcare network, reinforcing service provision across southern Umbria.

The hospital will include a broad range of spaces and functions dedicated to diagnosis and treatment, together with a significant focus on rehabilitation services. Its specialised units will be accessible to both local and regional users, enhancing the territory’s capacity to respond effectively and cohesively to diverse healthcare needs. These specialised units will be accessible to both local and regional users, enhancing the territory’s capacity to respond effectively and cohesively to diverse healthcare needs.

Manens coordinated and integrated the entire design process, overseeing architectural design, hydraulic and road engineering, environmental and acoustic studies, slope‑stabilisation works and the necessary archaeological investigations. The firm also served as Health and Safety Coordinator during the design phase. This multidisciplinary approach ensured coherence between the hospital’s functional requirements, the geological challenges of the site and the broader environmental objectives linked to the rehabilitation of the quarry.

Environmental recovery and site regeneration

A central component of the project is the recovery of the former quarry. The intervention includes a comprehensive reshaping of the site, stabilising the excavation fronts and reconstructing the slopes to allow the reintroduction of meadow and woodland vegetation both above and below the building platform. This transformation restores continuity to the landscape and enhances an area that had long been compromised, without consuming additional land.

The recovery strategy was guided by an extensive geological and geotechnical study, which identified the need for targeted slope‑stabilisation and ground‑consolidation works. These measures are complemented by a system for managing surface water, essential to ensure the hydraulic safety of the site and prevent erosion or infiltration that could affect the hospital structures.

A modern hospital integrated into the landscape

The new hospital is organised around a large central plinth featuring two square courtyards designed to maximise natural light. The first two levels of the plinth—which host logistical and high‑technology functions—are partially embedded into the northern slope, allowing the building to connect naturally with the reshaped terrain.
The upper levels accommodate the main clinical departments and public‑facing services: 135 inpatient beds, plus 5 intensive care beds, 4 short‑stay OBI beds, 14 dialysis stations and a range of technical‑healthcare functions.

On the southern side, fully open toward the valley, a cantilevered walkway and two broad staircases connect the pedestrian routes with the external parking area. Material choices—an intonaco-clad base and upper volumes in exposed brick—visually articulate the distinction between the plinth and the clinical wards, while helping to reduce the overall visual impact of the structure.

The New Narni–Amelia Hospital demonstrates how a healthcare facility can become an instrument of territorial regeneration, turning a disused quarry into a functional, safe and environmentally restored landscape. It is an example of how architecture and engineering can contribute to the reconstruction of a place while meeting the healthcare needs of the community.