Scheme at Guy’s brings treatment under one roof

Laing O’Rourke’s new cancer centre at Guy’s Hospital in London opened last week.

The £160m building, designed by RSHP with healthcare specialist architects Stantec, brings together most cancer treatment at the hospital under one roof – previously cancer care was provided in 13 different locations in eight different buildings on the St Thomas’ and Guy’s sites.

The 14 storey building is arranged in four stacked villages – welcome, radiotherapy, outpatients and chemotherapy – each with its own distinct identity relating to a particular patient need.

RSHP partner in charge of the scheme Ivan Harbour said: “Architecture has the ability and responsibility to improve people’s lives and nowhere is this more important than in a building dedicated to making people well.

“Our aim has been to create a place equally focused on patient care and treatment, a welcoming building of human scale that does not feel like a hospital but delivers state-of-the-art treatment in an uplifting environment for visitors and staff.”

The new Cancer Centre at Guy’s is the first hospital in Europe to locate its radiotherapy treatment above ground.