The Aincourt sanatorium was a treatment center specializing in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (phthisis) located in the village of Aincourt (Val-d'Oise department) in France.
The sanatorium, currently located in the Vexin Français Regional Natural Park, was built by architects Édouard Crevel and Paul Decaux between 1931 and 1933. It is one of the largest complexes of its kind built in the 20th century. It also served as a concentration camp between 1940 and 1942.
The building is currently partially occupied by the Vexin intercommunal hospital group. It has been listed as a historical monument since February 1, 1999.
A unique architectural ensemble
Designed to accommodate 150 patients each, three pavilions were built to treat tuberculosis patients from Val d'Oise but also foreign patients.
Their architecture is identical and impressive in its proportions. They consist of three large buildings, 220 meters long and 12 meters wide, comprising three floors of tiered rooms and a rooftop terrace. Each level has a continuous, compartmentalized treatment terrace with frosted glass screens to isolate each room. These terraces, or solariums, are crucial treatment galleries for the disease, as bacillary patients must spend several hours a day on them during the sunniest hours, breathing the fresh air and remaining completely at rest.
This unique therapeutic approach and their sheer size give these buildings the appearance of ocean liners anchored in the middle of a forest. The rooms are accessed internally via a vast circulation corridor. Two main staircases, built externally, flank each end of the main building. Their rounded stairwells benefit from natural light thanks to a grid of glass panels, considerably lightening their exterior appearance.
The central building is flanked by annexes connected to it by a curved gallery. To the west are the medical facilities, including an operating theatre and a pneumothorax room, and to the east are the kitchens, the dining hall and the performance hall.
