Iconic red brick facade reminiscent
was funded by the Catholic church, as well as municipal councils from both the French Concession and the International Settlement.
At the beginning, the hospital was small with only 17 wards and 35 beds. It received British, French and American patients and treated dozens of diseases like rheumatism, syphilis and chest problems. With only a resident doctor designated by the hospital’s committee of seven council members, doctors from other hospitals were often invited by patients for medical treatment. The nurses were 10 Catholic sisters, who were responsible for medical care and administration work.
The General Hospital was developed and expanded after moving to an 18-mu site (around 12,006 square meters) purchased along the bank of Suzhou River where the red building of Bellagio Hotel now stands.
A surviving building
According to a 1914 report on the North-China Herald, this surviving building is one of the two newly completed extension blocks situated on the northeast corner of the hospital compound.
“The two extensive blocks of new buildings, which are designed entirely to meet the needs of the hospital administration, one providing much needed accommodation for the Catholic sisters, and the other, known as the kitchen block, being exclusively arranged for the domestic work of the hospital. The buildings have been designed by Mr. George A. Johnson (of the firm of Lester, Johnson & Morriss), and the contractor is Koo Lan-chow.
Every stage of the work has been very carefully supervised, with the result that an appreciable saving on the estimated cost has been effected, without impairing workmanship or the quality of the materials used. The building will at once be seen to the admirably planned and efficiently and economically constructed, the accommodation being adequate and comfortable, but plain in style. The exterior is of red brick with patent stone facing,” the report said on December 5, 1914.
Covering an area of 613 square meters, the fourstory building for the
Catholic sisters ho munity room, a pa sick wards for the pel. It’s a real pity had been demolish building in the hot five-story kitchen b an area of 502 squ
“On the first flo ters for the Chines on the second, room nurses and dresse is completely equ rooms and a laun steam-heating app ing room,” the new
Today, the buildin ple-cut, red-brick stone cornice, arch an exquisite stone c terpiece. Though si blocks were well-eq hospital buildings “to be excellently special purposes.”
Both the heating and the general san were carried out Water Works Compa tric wiring was don Electric and Asbes two buildings wer with electric lifts, w factured by Major & St of rein was p ings, as n po st pr em
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