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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our weekly Architrivia.
Highrise hospitals aren't very common, but where they do exist, it's usually because of the cramped constraints presented by dense urban areas. The borough of Southwark in Central London is home to the 19-building Guy's Hospital campus. The 34-storey Tower Wing was the tallest hospital building in the world until the 148.5-metre Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital eclipsed it in 2008. But a recent refurbishment of the Brutalist structure has not only updated its look, but added height to the building.
The highrise component of Guy's Hospital is deceivingly composed of two separate buildings spaced closely together and linked by a bridge. After 40 years in use, the concrete began to deteriorate, and cracks in the walls formed. The taller of the two towers required an entirely new exterior of anodized aluminum and double-glazed windows. The glass on the shorter building was also replaced while the concrete received an extensive restoration. The inclusion of a 14-metre-high rooftop installation by German artist Carsten Nicolai pushes Guy's Hospital back into the record books, just edging out the Hong Kong hospital by 15 centimetres.
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