Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sabourin Sanatorium Hospital, located north of Clermont-Ferrand on the slopes of the Puy de Chanturgue, was built in the 1930s by architect Alberic Aubert. Influenced by the theories of Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, he embodied the modernist movement of the inter-war period in Auvergne. The site, chosen in 1929 for its isolation, sunshine and altitude (362–391 m), met the health criteria of the time to treat tuberculosis. The main building, 96 metres long, adopts a "T" plan with a south-facing façade oriented to maximize the solar exposure of patients.

The initial project, launched after a unsuccessful competition in 1929, provided for three "U" buildings: a central body nicknamed "the ship", a villa for the chief physician (inspired by the Five Points of Modern Architecture), and a staff pavilion. Subsequent changes, such as the addition of a thermal power plant, disrupted the original symmetry. Innovative for its time, the hospital incorporated advanced technologies: reinforced concrete frame, cork soundproofing, double-speed elevators, and a bacteriological plant to clean up wastewater.

The settlement opened in 1936 under the direction of Pierre Luton, but was partially destroyed in 1944 by a bombardment of nearby Michelin factories. Reconstituent to the same, it evolved with medical progress, from a tuberculosis sanatorium to a pneumoallergic centre until its decommissioning in 1997. After years of abandonment, the site was saved in extremis by its classification at the Historical Monuments in 2000 and its transformation into the National Higher School of Architecture (ENSACF), inaugurated in 2015.

The architecture of Sabourin is distinguished by its clean lines, wide bay windows, and sun terraces designed for heliotherapic treatments. Local artists such as Gustave Gournier (bas-reliefs) and Louis Dussour (fresco disappeared from the chapel) contributed to his aesthetic footprint. The building, labeled "Twentieth Century Heritage" in 2004, illustrates the adaptation of functionalism to medical needs, while integrating harmoniously into the volcanic landscape auvergnat.

A controversy persists around the authorship of the project: although officially attributed to Alberic Aubert, archives suggest a collaboration with Valentin Vigneron, whose letter claims unpaid fees. The documents mention a joint project dated 1931, but the evidence remains fragmented. Today, Sabourin embodies both a pioneering medical legacy and a remarkable example of heritage rehabilitation, combining history, architecture and pedagogy.

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