Le sanatorium familial de Montigny-en-Ostrevent (Nord) : échec d’une tentative de création d’un établissement antituberculeux modèle, de caractère national

The sanatorium of Montigny-en-Ostrevent was built between 1904 and 1905 and is comprised of an ensemble of small pavilions set in a park. The pavilions were destined not only for people suffering from tuberculosis but also for the healthy members of their families. In its architecture, the establishment was inspired by the Saranac Lake sanatorium in the United States, although, at Montigny-en-Ostrevent, the accommodation for the families was an innovation. The sanatorium was conceived by Albert Calmette, director of the Pasteur Institute at Lille and founder of the ‘Ligue du Nord’ against tuberculosis, the commissioning client for the construction. The architect Léonce Hainez designed some elegant buildings in the Art Nouveau style and managed to give the whole the appearance of a holiday village, rather than a sanitary establishment. However, in spite of the generous social intentions of the place’s designers, this original sanatorium was not a success and the First World War put a brutal end to its existence