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Sanatorium Architecture
The original sanatorium building was built of brick and stone, lit by acetylene gas and designed by Mr D. M. Spence of Shotley Bridge, the PCHA's honorary architect. The design of the building, particularly the later extensions, reflected some of the scientific ideas and thinking behind the treatment of tuberculosis at the time. Looking at the architecture of many hospital and asylum buildings across the 19th and 20th centuries it is often possible to make inferences as to the philosophy governing their operation whether it be the scientific thought or the social attitudes and the way it was funded. For example, early charitable hospitals could often be very grand buildings reflecting the status of those making philanthropic donations giving them something impressive to show for their money. Likewise County asylums of the mind 19th century often had a similar layout and were much larger more austere buildings with security concerns quite evident in their design.
Sanatoria were no different in this respect and suitable sites of large expanses of land in the countryside were often sought out to build them on. The buildings themselves would be open and airy creating large wards rather than smaller rooms that could accommodate only a handful of patients. Large windows that were oriented to take in as much sunlight and could easily be opened were also important. The sunlight was seen as beneficial to aiding patient's recovery in allowing them to build up strength, but was also seen by some as a way of killing of germs so that allowing direct sunlight in the wards would lead to a cleaner environment.
Originally targeting children from the industrial areas of Newcastle and Gateshead the location of the sanatorium at Stannington surrounding by green fields was ideal. Sanatorium sites across the world reflected this too, with many well-off Brits travelling to Switzerland for a long sojourn in the Alpine air. Davos in Switzerland was a prime location for private sanatoria with facilities visited by the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson.
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