National University Hospital

National University Hospital (NUH) is the hub of high acuity care, teaching, and investigation for the National University Health System and the country of Singapore. To meet the new and future needs of NUH, Gensler was asked to plan and program a 3,000,000 SF replacement hospital on a dense urban site with no open space left to build, while keeping the existing hospital fully operational during the construction of the new hospital.

To deliver, the design flips the paradigm of building a new building on its head. Instead of working heal-toe to replace the old over the course of more than 20 years, the new hospital is constructed in one phase above the fully operational building in less than 6 years. Upon completion, the old hospital is demolished and the ground plane is converted into a lush public park filled with wellness-focused spaces. The new elevated building bridges to the surrounding medical centers and University Campus, sparking connectivity and fostering collaboration; while patient care spaces are freed from the ground and designed to accommodate future flexibility and a customer-focused experience.

The result is a solution born from extreme constraints that embraces speed in execution, and as a result, improves experience and elevates the health of the city.