TECHNOLOGY MARTÍN BENTOLILA – A-SH ARCHITEKTEN, HANNOVER, GERMANY
Technology in hospital: past, present and future
While technological innovation has given rise to exciting new treatments and cures – positively impacting life expectancy – cutting edge tech such as AI and virtual surgery raise profound ethical and political questions, as Architect Martín Bentolila of a-sh Architekten explains.
The use of technology has brought about significant changes in medicine, both in medical processes and administrative procedures. Until the 19th century, hospitals were places where the sick and the poor people looked for asylum, and healing was not as understood as it is today. However, starting from that century, science began to take centre stage through significant research. The three discoveries – bacteria as the cause of diseases, anaesthesia, and steam sterilisation – enabled the development of the modern hospital.1 Wolper suggests that these discoveries
gave rise to the modern hospital as we know it in the present. Their implementation, coupled with continuous technological advancements, has facilitated the development of modern medicine and significantly improved healthcare. By the late 19th century, in most
developed countries, there was a continuous investment in healthcare services, leading to a significant technological expansion in both existing hospitals and newly constructed ones. The new epidemiological profile that
emerged during this period is associated with improvements in healthcare infrastructure, increased healthcare
expenditures, and services. It also relates to emerging health issues linked to working conditions, the rapid growth of urban environments (especially since the 1960s), or changes in lifestyle patterns.2
Technology has driven greater integration and specialisation in hospital design
Martín Bentolila
Architect Martín Bentolila graduated from Universidad de Buenos Aires in 2016 with a Masters in Hospital Architecture, and from Alebat Education and Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia in 2023. Currently working as architect at a-sh
Architekten, Hannover, Germany, Martín has more than 10 years of experience in the planning and design of health facilities in the public and private sectors in Argentina and Germany, including Sanatorio Altos de Salta, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, and St. Bernward Krankenhaus.
IFHE DIGEST 2025
In recent years, the healthcare sector has witnessed significant changes in hospital buildings and their equipment. Modern hospitals are designed to be advanced, contemporary, and flexible, anticipating future modifications and focusing on patient-centred care rather than disease-centric approaches. This approach has humanised hospitals, making them more welcoming and patient friendly.
Medical equipment In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays. Since then, medical equipment has exponentially developed, with patient diagnosis and disease treatment increasingly relying on imaging. The most relevant medical equipment today includes those used in diagnostic imaging services, radiotherapy, and surgery, alongside adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) systems in healthcare. Hospitals
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