BVN designed a premier space for healthcare at the Northern Beach Hospital in Sydney, Australia.

The Northern Beaches Hospital is a new state-of-the-art tertiary hospital that navigates the requirements of sophisticated clinical services delivery whilst providing an environment that fosters dependability, security and optimism for patients, a positive and encouraging workplace for staff, and a meaningful and connected new civic building for the local community.

The first hospital in NSW to achieve a 4 Star Green Star rating (design, build and operation), the Northern Beaches Hospital is a 488-bed metropolitan facility providing a range of services including emergency, interventional, intensive care, high dependency, coronary care, day surgery, medical imaging, birthing, special care nursery, paediatric inpatient, public and private inpatient units, renal dialysis and day medical facilities, outpatients, medical centre, specialist consulting suites, mental health unit, clinical and non-clinical support.

The NSW Government contracted Healthscope to design, construct, operate and maintain the new Northern Beaches Hospital which is a public and private hospital combined in one integrated facility. BVN Architecture and CPB Contractors were key partners in the design and development of the hospital, which was delivered on time and on budget.

The High Street
The building has been conceived of as a mini-town – with a high street forming the backbone of the town – and all departments connecting back to this street. In this instance the street is multi-level, stretching high to connect and unite all floors of the building. It takes the form of a seven level atrium, beginning at the hospital’s front door, and driving through the very centre of the building, providing visibility across the levels. The atrium is lit by large glass walls to the east and the west and a playful collection of circular skylights providing coloured portholes of light into this central space.

The atrium is home to two striking artworks, both created by local photographers, and both celebrating the unique environment of the beaches. The first is the detail from the bark of a scribbly gum by local photographer Suzanna Harroothunian. The second, by 15 year old photographer Nicholas Seale, is of waves lapping along the sand. This piece is a result of a competition held with the talented students from the neighbouring Forest high School.

Form and Massing of the Building
The building has three key components – the podium, the inpatient units (wards), and the atrium, with the ground and first floor comprising the ‘podium’ of diagnostic and treatment facilities. Key departments are located here such as emergency, medical imaging and operating theatres that require large contiguous floor plates and direct connections to each other. Courtyard gardens are carved into the podium to provide green spaces and natural light deep inside the building.

The podium forms a base for the various inpatient units above – intensive care units, the birthing suite, paediatrics ward, the special care nursery and medical and surgical wards. These units have expansive views to the south, east, west and north from patient rooms and patient lounges, with significant distances between the building forms to allow these views to be maximised. Above the northern inpatient units, located within the same building footprint, are two floors of specialist consulting suites.

Architect: BVN
Photography: John Gollings