Norwich and London-based LSI Architects has won the design competition for the new Palliative Care East Centre to be built on the James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) site near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The concept for the new facility, which is intended for completion within three years, was selected above designs from five other short-listed architects as presenting an “outstanding vision” for the project.
The proposed design involves the reconciliation of two contrasting elements: a conventional lightweight timber-framed structure near to the existing hospital’s facilities accommodating the centre’s support functions, with its “green” roof providing visual amenity for adjacent hospital buildings as well as environmental benefits. This straightforward form is “invaded” by a large, dramatically curving shape, resembling an upturned boat – a reminder both of the scheme’s coastal context and of the notion of an “ark” as a place of refuge. The free-form shell serves to wrap together the internal and external spaces that represent the social heart of the building, reinforcing the sense of inward focus.
The layout of accommodation within the building has been carefully considered to promote continuity and benefit from natural light and ventilation. The southfacing conservatory enjoys maximum sunlight and, through the continuity of paved surfaces, forms an enclosed part of the centre’s “inner garden”, allowing users year round views of the external landscape. The garden includes a water feature and paths leading to discreet stopping places, with integrated lighting, while an “outer garden” of hard and soft landscaping gives visitors opportunities to “stop and stare”, and is lower in relation to the “inner garden” in order to improve privacy.
