Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has taken another step forward with its vision to transform healthcare for its patients and staff by confirming 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 now signed a contract with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to design the two new state-of-the-art hospitals on the site of the LGI. The 94,000m² building will house two unique hospitals—one for adults and one for children— including a centralised maternity and neonatal unit. Significantly, these designs bring together for the first time clinical services for children and young people under one roof.
This world-class team have designed and delivered some of the most innovative hospitals and women’s and children’s care environments in the world, and bring a combined experience of over 146 years of healthcare experience to the project. Their appointment follows a competition held by the Trust in 2021 to find an architect to design its “Hospitals of the Future” project—one of 40 new hospitals that the U.K. 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 in these early designs.
Meanwhile, work 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 located together. 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.”
Mark Rowe, Managing Principal of Perkins&Will, said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed to design the Trust’s new hospitals at the Leeds General Infirmary site. Not only will this new healthcare project bring incredible resources to the people of Leeds and the wider region, but it will also set the bar for best-in-class healthcare facilities. The design will benefit everyone—staff, patients, and visitors. We will create a beautiful place that enables the Trust to continue to be a leading light in the fields of healthcare innovation, research, and education.”
