Project Description
AFL Architects completed the redevelopment of the main entrance at Arrowe Park Hospital for Wirral University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The brief was to refurbish and redevelop the existing main entrance as part of the hospital’s ongoing ‘First Impressions’ scheme – to refresh the appearance of the hospital and enhance the user experience through improved facilities and way-finding.
The design approach was driven by a desire to combine the visual appeal of a glulam structure with the openness and clarity afforded by a curtain wall system. Ultimately this was achieved; the dark cladding panels give a stark contrast to the glulam’s natural tones, framing the structure and emphasising its form. The enveloping curtain wall system maximises natural light ingress to both the entrance and reception area of the hospital, and the sculptural structure’s five primary supports naturally guide the eye skywards to the interlocking hexagonal arrangement of the roof.
The outward projection of the new entrance from the existing building lines provides a focal point for hospital users upon arrival. The structure is driven by sustainability and natural form and created using PEFC / FSC certified timber. The new entrance maximises user circulation space whilst providing an open and calming atmosphere.
Located in the heart of the Wirral peninsula on a 15-acre site, the Arrowe Park Hospital offers a comprehensive range of high-quality healthcare services to the Wirral public and neighbouring communities.
The project has won many awards and has also been nominated for outstanding use of BIM.