Covering a site area of 20,888.1 sqm, the hospital extension project by Leigh & Orange has been envisioned as a ‘Hospital within a Park’, and aims to integrate world-class hospital services, medical research and the surrounding community within an urban park environment.

An existing Basic Medical Center, a new International Medical Center and a new International Medical Exchange Center, are arranged along an irregular site lying from north to south and connected by an elevated multi-level spine. The new Medical Center complex incorporates a modern vocabulary comprising simple rectilinear shapes that tie in to the surrounding urban landscape, while a series of gardens connected by the elevated spine reflects the hospital’s design concept by continuing the healing process. An open landscape in the east also serves as a public park and a way-finding design element for the patients, staff and visitors, as they navigate along the Hospital.

The inpatient admission lobby of the 200-bed ward in the new International Medical Center will start at the 30^th floor to maximise the magnificent park views. And at the lower block beside the Basic Medical Center, all the windows of the wards are designed to face the school playground with views of its courtyard.

Inside, an open plan strategy for the nurse’s station and hospital public areas has been devised in the inpatient ward areas to provide a patient-focused environment. In the basic ward, a large common function space is sandwiched between the patient rooms to encourage daily interactions. To ensure that the ward has the flexibility to cater for the hospital’s future needs, patient rooms can be flexibly converted from a 5-person unit to one 2-person and one 3-person units, and vice versa, with minor modification.

Outpatient areas are located in the existing hospital building and its abutting new outpatient building, directly connected to other hospital areas by the elevated spine where inpatient admission, restaurants, a café, convenient stores, and a bank and business centre are anchored within to enhance the self-sufficiency of the complex.

The design also takes into consideration the warm and humid climate of southern China. Building mass facing the east-west direction is minimised to reduce solar heat gain, and daylight control of the building is manipulated by a double skin facade with manually operable louver panels and various densities in response to different orientations.

Leigh & Orange
leighorange.com

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