Better for patients, by design

Our designers have taken inspiration from the artist Henry Moore, creating a hospital with an embracing form that reaches out towards the city.

Using the natural environment as a central part of the design creates calm and restfulness in the hospital. There will be plenty of access to green spaces, providing patients with a place to relax at what can be an emotional time, as well as supporting staff health and wellbeing with space to take time away from clinical areas.

The hospital entrance invites visitors into a world of greenery, whether you arrive by car, bike or on foot. It has a drop-off loop making it easy to navigate and get close to the main entrance by car.

The designers have used “healing landscapes” as their inspiration, creating a park outside the entrance as a stimulating landscape framing the eastern side of the Gilbert Scott Building. The park encourages exploration and pop-up activities such as art installations, performances, and picnics, which will make it an attractive destination within the Leeds Innovation District.

Gardens constructed on the building’s terraces for the children’s and maternity wings provide opportunities for social interactions or to take a break. The gardens reinforce a positive patient experience and support recovery, including an outside space to enhance physical rehabilitation. The hospital will also include an impressive sky garden, and a playground on the roof of the new car park has been designed for young patients to enjoy while taking in the views across the city.

The history of the hospital has not been forgotten, and the design emphasises this and respects the original architecture. Some of the buildings around the retained Gilbert Scott Building will be demolished, bringing the eastern side of its Victorian Gothic frontage into full view. The green plaza has been designed to echo the Great George Street entrance with its southward sloping terrain and loop allowing vehicle access at entrance level.