Foster+Partners has recently begun construction on the Cairo’s new Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre, which will provide free treatment for the people of Egypt and beyond, in particular those in Sub-saharan Africa. The hospital site borders the Zewail City of Science and Technology as part of an integrated health and medical research zone. With views of the Pyramids of Giza, the 300-bed hospital seeks to optimize the overall patient experience and decrease recovery times. The Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre was designed as the newest outpost of the Aswan Heart Centre founded by Egyptian surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub. It is being built with diagnosis and treatment facilities, including an accident and emergency department, a large outpatient clinic and rehabilitative departments. It will feature multiple courtyards, as well as a surgical department and intensive care units that are co-located.
The hospital will also include support spaces for families to stay while the patients recuperate, as well as classrooms and other educational spaces for medical students to engage within an active learning environment. As the team states, the design was influenced by “the psychology of colors and Egyptian history.” The second floor will include a green terrace, as well as a staff canteen, children’s nursery and other collaborative meeting spaces. The roof is defined by a series of sculptural, shell-like roof structures.
“New Aswan Heart Centre offers state-of-the-art, free-of-charge medical services to the Egyptian people, particularly the underprivileged. Lush and verdant, this oasis of paths and parks promotes wellbeing. With its passive design strategy, it is an exemplar of sustainability, responding to the needs of patients and to its locale. We are delighted to be working with Sir Magdi Yacoub and his foundation for such a noble cause.”, said Norman Foster.