The BovenIJ Hospital in Amsterdam has undergone a phased, full modernization that strengthens its role as a flexible, future‑proof health organisation. Recent works include a new integrated Emergency Centre, a Mother and Child Centre, upgraded outpatient clinics and a modernised Acute Admission ward; delivered in stages while clinical services continued.

The new integrated Spoedpost, opened by Health Minister Ernst Kuipers, brings together the hospital’s emergency department and local GP posts into a single, coordinated team in line with the Integraal Zorgakkoord. The design emphasises calm in a high‑stress setting: rounded forms, warm materials, greenery, functional lighting and clear wayfinding. A single arrival, reception and waiting area feed a central team station surrounded by 12 treatment rooms where patients can remain in place while different clinicians provide care, improving throughput and logistics.

The Mother and Child Centre offers family‑centred care in spacious, light suites; neonatal patients can now stay with their mothers and each suite includes an en‑suite bathroom with massage shower. EGM’s participatory design process—workshops, knowledge sessions and mock‑ups—ensured solutions closely match clinical workflows and user needs.

Other interventions include reconfiguration of ward room sizes, conversion of office wings into clinical use, a refreshed façade and ongoing updates (e.g., plaster room). The result is a safer, more efficient and patient‑friendly hospital that integrates services, supports staff and creates a coherent, contemporary identity for BovenIJ.

Design: EGM architects
Design Team: Willemineke Hammer, Leonie Grootveld, Hans de Man, Heidi Sairanen, Leo Visser, Mieke Salden, Peter van Ek
Contractor: Winters Construction & Development
Structural Engineer: Van Rossum Consulting Engineers
Photography: Patrick Siemons