HMC Architects
3546 Concours Street
Ontario, CA 91764
(909) 989-9979
www.hmcarchitects.com
New Hospital Tower, Kaiser West Los Angeles Medical Center Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, CA
Fitting a five-story, 184,000-sf tower addition into an existing medical center campus in a dense urban environment was no easy task. It required creative restructuring of site circulation, a new patient drop-off, and a 60-foot clear span linking bridge to accommodate an underground utility easement. It also offered an opportunity for a new pedestrian plaza and meditation garden.
Built in response to seismic and FEMA requirements, the new tower was a catalyst for consolidation and reconfiguration of inpatient, outpatient, and acute care functions to more efficiently serve patients. The new tower features the latest innovations in technology infrastructure to support Kaiser’s automated medical records system. Nurses’ stations, procedure rooms, and operating rooms electronically route images displayed on flat-panel monitors, eliminating the need for film or traditional x-ray screens.
In support of Kaiser’s patient-centered care initiative, the interiors incorporate soft colors, indirect lighting, and curved elements. Interior styles, materials, and colors successfully integrate with the exterior, which features a tan-colored, thin-shell precast concrete panel, tinted curtain wall, and bronze-tone metal panels. Exterior materials complement the existing structures at the medical center and surrounding environment.