The former Sabourin sanatorium, previously threatened with demolition despite its remarkable architecture, has housed Clermont-Ferrand’s École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture since 2015.
Built in the 1930s by architect Albéric Aubert (1895-1971), this hospital is the region’s only example of modernist architecture from the inter-war period, along with Jean-Zay de Thiers high school. It was given the name of Charles Sabourin (1849-1920), a pneumologist, who had opened France’s first sanatorium nearby in Durtol in 1898.
The institution was built on the hillsides of Puy de Chanturgue, according to the criteria for the location of sanatoriums at the time, which included protection from dominant winds, isolation in nature, the possibility to create a closed, monitored park, views of the landscape and clean land. To adjust to the sloped land, the larger wing is built perpendicular to the hillsides while the main façade faces south, so that patients can enjoy a clear view and the sunshine.
The building is part of the Functionalism movement inspired by Bauhaus and by the thinking of Gropius and Le Corbusier, architects and urban planners. This architectural style dictates that the building must correspond exactly to its use, with emphasis on light and simple lines, horizontal elements and use of modern materials. The building’s wide horizontal bays, the dominance of the colour white, the fifth façade made up of a terrace and its narrow and formal outline are also characteristic of this style.
Decommissioned in 1997, the Sabourin sanatorium was left derelict, renovated in 2006, then housed Clermont-Ferrand’s École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture in 2015. The building has been on the historic monuments registry since 2000.
