Psychiatric Hospital – From Asylums to Centres for Mind-Body Wellness

摘要

Throughout history mental illness was mystified, feared and condemned, but over time perception and treatment ofpsychiatric patients changed. Systematic care for the mentally ill in specialised institutions began about six hundredyears ago. However, it was of a repressive and restrictive character towards the patients until as late as 19th century, atime of significant progress and development for the science of psychiatry. It was then that the effect of one’s immediateenvironment on human emotions, mood, and recovery became the subject of many scientific studies, and the role of architecturaldesign in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients gained much attention. Over the years significant evidencehas been accumulated of the effect of architectural design on humans. However, psychiatric hospitals very often occupybuildings not originally designed for that specific purpose. This is the case with the Rab Psychiatric Hospital,demonstrating a functional and efficient use of its premises, which have yet to be recognised as a historical, cultural andarchitectural landmark.