London, United Kingdom
“Aswan Heart Centre offers state-of-the-art, free-of-charge medical services to the Egyptian people, particularly the underprivileged,” states Norman Foster.
Foster + Partners are developing the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Center in Cairo, a hospital that provides free state-of-the-art treatment for the people of Egypt.
The design of the architects is initiated by the concept of biophilia which seeks to satisfy people’s physical and emotional need for nature by integrating the natural world and natural materials.
With striking views of the Pyramids of Giza, the site for the new hospital borders the prestigious Zewail City of Science and Technology, forming part of integrated health and medical research zone.
The center is set within a lush, verdant landscape that seeks to optimize the overall patient experience.
The design of the 300-bed hospital responds to the needs of patients, their families, and the staff that care for them.
The main access to the site is from the south through a pedestrian plaza with an intimate shaded route that leads to a welcoming canopy that marks the entrance.
The ground floor comprises comprehensive diagnosis and treatment facilities, including an accident and emergency department, a large outpatient clinic, and rehabilitative departments.
Several courtyards bring natural light into the deep plan building, while also aiding orientation. Supporting the innovations of the center, the surgical department and intensive care units are co-located.
This minimizes the distance between ‘bed and bench’, maximizing collaboration between researchers and caregivers working to deliver advanced, innovative care.
On the first floor, each of the eight intensive care units is designed to optimize recovery, with privacy and natural daylight.
Each patient room on this level is oriented so that patients benefit from landscaped views and the newly formed lake on the northern edge.
The state-of-the-art prefabricated operating theatres bring the best available care, with carefully planned flows to ensure high clinical safety standards.
The hospital also features support spaces for families to stay while the patients recuperate as well as classrooms and other educational spaces for medical students to engage within an active learning environment.
The design uses soft and warm colors throughout the interior, influenced by the psychology of colors and Egyptian history.
A green terrace on the second floor – inspired by the local traditions of being outdoors during the cooler parts of the day – provides a vital spill-out space for the staff and visitors.
The open terrace is interspersed with complementary built spaces containing a large staff canteen, children’s nursery and other collaborative meeting spaces for staff to share ideas.
A series of single and shared patient rooms on the upper floors – each with expansive views of the surrounding lake and landscape – are sheltered by sculptural shell-like roof structures reminiscent of the feluccas on the Nile.
Throughout there is a focus on natural light, greenery and views out, creating an environment that supports wellbeing.
Rich, native flora has been introduced to the site, creating a ring of green interwoven with pedestrian paths and a quiet contemplative space.
Project: Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Center Cairo
Architects: Foster + Partners
Lead Architect: Norman Foster
Client: The Magdi Yacoub Foundation, Aswan Heart Centre
Photographers: Foster + Partners
