Architect(s): RMJM
Address: 90 Yishun Central, SINGAPORE, Singapore
Latitude/Longitude: 1.424627,103.838211
Alexandra Hospital in Singapore, established in 1938, was renowned as one of the most modern hospitals in southeast Asia up through the 1970s. Today, RMJM’s design for the new 550-bed institution recreates the charm and ambiance of the pre-war facility while providing the highest level of staff efficiency in a patient-centered environment. The hospital also utilizes energy-efficient features which reduce energy costs by 50% and provide 70% of the floor area with the potential for natural ventilation.
As the premiere healthcare institution in the region, the hospital’s level of emergency preparedness and infectious disease isolation capability are important criteria shaping its planning and organization. The design reserves a significant portion of the first subterranean level for vital facilities such as triage, treatment, surgery and holding spaces, which are blast-protected. The ambulance and emergency areas are similarly outfitted for civil emergencies, incorporating large decontamination and quarantine areas with dedicated MEP systems.
The concept behind the aesthetic organization of Alexandra is driven by the utilization of the natural advantages of the site; given the benefits of natural surroundings, the design team developed the idea of “the Hospital in a Garden.” Yishun Pond itself grew to be a central feature of the design; inpatient units face the pond, whose shoreline is to be reclaimed for exercise paths and food pavilions. The pond provides a soothing waterscape view for staff and patients in the nursing towers at the eastern edge of the 32,000 square meter site, while the garden landscape greets visitors, patients and staff at the entry to Yishun Central Avenue at the western extremity. A series of planted terraces between upper floor patient towers culminate the “garden hospital” experience.
The marriage of cutting-edge security and safety features with the natural beauty of Yishun Pond and its surrounding environment results in a healthcare facility distinctive both in its aesthetic and in the quality of health care delivery.
Text description provided by the architects.
Client: Alexandra Hospital
Size: 1.1 million gsf | 105,000m²
Executive Architect: CPG Consultants Pte. Ltd.
Contributed by RMJM
