Yet another iconic structure has been added to the banner of Foster + Partners, a hospital in the city of Cairo is what’s new. On point with the pandemic times, the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre Cairo hospital will prioritize establishing a connection of their patients and nature to boost their wellbeing.
Currently, under construction, the 300-bed hospital is designed to sport a shell-like roofscape offering views of a lake and Egyptian pyramids. The basic design principles used for the architecture have been derived from biophilic designs to satisfy the user’s need to integrate with the environment outside.
The hospital will be accessed from the south of its site via a pedestrianized plaza with a shaded walkway that leads to the entrance which will be marked by a canopy. On entering its ground floor, space will be multifunctional, acting as host to an accident and emergency department, a large outpatient clinic, diagnosis and treatment facilities, and the rehabilitative spaces.
As one moves upward, the first floor of the hospital will be dedicated to the intensive care units. These are each designed to help with recovery by offering complete privacy, natural daylight, and views out to a lake. With the hospital’s surgical department positioned right next to these units, the studio hopes that it will facilitate collaboration between researchers and caregivers.
The upper floors of the hospital will be divided up into the in-patient wards, each containing a mix of single and shared patient rooms. These wards will be topped by the sculptural roof structures and rise above a plant-filled terrace that will weave around the second floor, adding the green elements inside the building and bringing nature closer. This terrace will become host to the staff and visitor break-out spaces and be punctured by a series of courtyards that bring natural light into the depths of the buildings as well.
Once complete, Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre Cairo will provide free treatment for underprivileged people living in Egypt who seek care and treatment.
