Hospital: The Latest Architecture and News

SPPARC architecture and design studio has revealed plans to renovate the former Ravenscourt Park Hospital in Hammersmith, London, which has stood vacant for two decades. The building, originally named the Royal Masonic Hospital and designed by Thomas S. Tait, is regarded as one of the first major modern buildings in the UK and was Europe's largest independent acute hospital when it was opened by King George V in 1933. Built to provide low-cost treatment for Freemasons and their families, the 260-bed facility operated until 1994, reopened as an NHS hospital in 2002, and was permanently closed in 2004. According to the recent announcement, the Grade II listed landmark, currently on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register, is intended to be repurposed as 140 new homes, a 65-bed care home, and spaces available for public hire.

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Adjaye Associates has revealed the design for the International Children's Cancer Research Centre (ICCRC) in Kyebi, Ghana. Commissioned by the Wish4Life Foundation, the project marks a step in the development of pediatric healthcare in West Africa. Situated on a 225,000-square-meter site along the eastern slopes of the Atewa Range, the ICCRC is envisioned as an integrated facility dedicated to healing, research, education, and community engagement. It will be the first center in the region solely focused on the treatment of childhood cancers. The project is currently on view at the Time Space Existence exhibition, part of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, held at Palazzo Bembo until 23 November 2025.

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Stanton Williams has been selected to design the Fleming Centre, a state-of-the-art research and public engagement facility to be constructed on the St Mary's Hospital campus in Paddington, London. Announced by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the project aims to create a global hub for collaboration and innovation in addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a significant healthcare challenge affecting populations worldwide. The Fleming Centre forms part of the broader Fleming Initiative, a joint venture between Imperial College Healthcare and Imperial College London.

Architecture has long been understood as a powerful tool for shaping the physical environment and social dynamics within it. However, its potential to foster social equity is often overlooked. Empathy-driven design invites architects to approach their work not only as creators of space but as facilitators of human connection and community well-being. This approach centers on understanding people's lived experiences, struggles, and aspirations — particularly marginalized communities — and responding to their needs through thoughtful, inclusive architecture. It goes beyond aesthetics and functionality, instead focusing on creating spaces fostering dignity, accessibility, and social equity. By prioritizing empathy, architects can design environments that uplift communities, address disparities, and create inclusive spaces that promote positive societal change in a tangible, human-centered way.

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In this week's reprint from Metropolis Magazine, authors Madeline Burke-Vigeland, FAIA, LEED AP, a principal at Gensler, and Benjamin A. Miko, MD, assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center explore how uniform standards applied across the built environment can protect our communities from COVID-19 and future pandemics.

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Ambulatory surgical procedures are routine in the U.S., but that’s not the case for most of the world. According to Dr. Michael Marin, head of surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, 5 billion people have no access to safe and affordable surgery procedures, a reality that in 2010 led to nearly 17 million deaths across the globe. In search of a new model for surgical facilities that could serve local communities—a model that would be independent and self-sustaining, outside of the context of large urban hospital complexes—Dr. Marin reached out to Kliment Halsband Architects in New York, a firm that had no experience in healthcare design. Recently I talked to firm principal Frances Halsband about how the project came about, and what she and her team learned in the process.

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