Before the creation of the Monaco Cardiothoracic Centre, many patients from Europe and the Mediterranean had to travel to distant or overseas cardiac surgical centres.
This Centre, which is open to international teams, has enabled patients to benefit locally from the care and expertise of international specialists, sparing them the risks, fatigue and isolation associated with such travel, which is now carried out by our doctors.
The Monaco Cardiothoracic Centre was :
- conceived in 1978,
- accepted in principle by the highest Monegasque authorities in 1981,
- planned from 1982 to 1984,
- built and equipped in 25 months, from March 1985 to April 1987.
The project was to be built in space previously occupied by the “Villa Auguste”, located in the gardens of the Hermitage Hotel.
Having reached maturity, the project combines two contrasting spaces, interior and exterior, in which the architect Charles-Jean Schmeltz “embodied modernity” :
The interior is resolutely contemporary, opened by large bays overlooking the port of Monaco. The Centre combines transparency, a sense of space, comfort and perfectly adapted medical devices. The interior design is inspired by the influence of contemporary designers F.L. Wright, Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, McIntosh, Breuer.
The exterior urban space contrasts with the interior through its personality, combining mouldings, columns, cornices, reflecting the euphoria of the surrounding facades.
The caduceus stylized by the architect Charles-Jean Schmeltz can be found on the capitals of the classical columns, on the flooring of the 6th floor, in the lift, on the handles of the entrance doors and the restaurant.
The architecture was designed to meet the requirements of healthcare services: each floor brings together a different speciality.
The CCM was opened in April 1987 thanks to the help and support of His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III and the Monegasque authorities.
The Centre differs from existing structures by its openness to international expertise and by the quality of hospitality offered to patients of all origins.
Nowadays
Since its creation, the building has continued to evolve through successive enlargements, and today the Cardiothoracic Centre represents :
- 13,000 m² on 12 levels
- 51 beds
- 15 intensive care beds
- a 200 m² restaurant on 2 floors
When the Monaco Cardiothoracic Centre was conceived in 1982, it represented a new and original concept in terms of its international character, allowing several internationally renowned medico- surgical teams to treat patients from Europe and the Mediterranean region in one place.
What is more, it also met the Côte d’Azur region’s need to increase its capacity in cardiology beds. This need was very well perceived by His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco, his Government, and all the Authorities and Constituted Bodies of the Principality.
Opened in 1987 and created by Professor Vincent Dor and Doctor Jean-Joseph Pastor, the CCM is a centre that is exclusively dedicated to thoracic and cardiovascular diseases. Its original concept is to allow patients from all social, geographical and cultural backgrounds to benefit from the expertise of permanent or international medico-surgical teams in one place.
