Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has confirmed Perkins&Will, led by Penoyre & Prasad with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, as designers of the two new hospitals on the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) site.
The architects have signed a contract with the Trust to design the two new ‘state-of-the-art’ hospitals on the site of the LGI. The 94,000 m² building will house two ‘unique’ hospitals – one for adults and one for children – including a centralised maternity and neonatal unit. The Trust said: “Significantly, these designs bring together for the first time clinical services for children and young people under one roof.” Of the architects selected, it added: “This world-class team has designed and delivered some of the most innovative hospitals and women’s and children’s care environments in the world, and bring over 146 years’ combined healthcare experience to the project. Their appointment follows a competition held in 2021 to find an architect to design our ‘Hospitals of the Future’ project – one of the 40 new hospitals the UK government has committed to build by 2030 as part of its New Hospital Programme (NHP).”
The design team is now undertaking staff and patient engagement sessions to gather input and support the next stage of design development. The feedback from adults, children, young people, parents, and carers from across the region will help shape how the facility might look and feel. Work meanwhile continues to clear the LGI site where the new hospitals will be situated, following the demolition of the Trust’s Old Nurses’ Home, the Hearing and Balance Unit, King Edward Building, Children’s Paediatric Offices, and Wellcome Wing. Construction is scheduled to start on site in 2024, with the new facilities planned to be fully operational in 2027.
Simon Worthington, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust director of Finance, and Senior Responsible Officer for the Hospitals of the Future Project, said: “The Perkins&Will concept design is very exciting, and will create a fantastic landmark for the city of Leeds. The way the new hospitals have been designed will enable them to operate independently, but also benefit from improved and more efficient communication and care when co-located. We are excited to be moving into the next phase of the design, and engaging with staff and the community to help bring to life these flagship hospitals, which will serve Leeds and the wider region for many decades to come."
