Gangnam Severance Hospital

Set in the heart of an upscale, dense residential area in the Gangnam District of Seoul (home to the “Gangnam Style” immortalized by the song of the same name) this new replacement hospital brings world-class healthcare to the city. Flanked by high-end residential towers on one side, the facility sits partially surrounded by one of Seoul’s many beautiful wooded parks on the other. The design strives to create an elegant, simple, technology-infused architecture that conveys a sense of wellness and “oneness” with the community—a challenge made all the more difficult because of the requirement that the existing complex remain operational throughout construction. The existing complex is a functionally and architecturally complicated network comprising numerous upgrades and expansions. The first goal of the replacement hospital was to straighten out the myriad of functional requirements and connections in a way that would both allow the hospital to remain operational and, in the end, would be logical and straightforward—a hugely complex logistical challenge requiring a detailed phasing program. The implementation strategy involves three phases. The first is to construct the new patient tower. The second sequentially demolishes existing components and replaces them with a new surgical platform, outpatient facilities, outreach education center, pharmacy, and administrative support spaces. The complex is completed with the third phase, which includes a specialty hospital and connected research facilities. In addition to resolving these critical logistical challenges, the design connects people to nature, both literally and symbolically, by weaving the park throughout the complex, accessible at each level—creating a place that not only serves patients, but also the neighborhood. Conceptually, the park or forest cascades from upper floors through a stepped garden and internal green atrium with grand stair, to a welcoming plaza, and to a sunken garden below. Entering at street level, the park is brought inside the public lobby through virtual technology, with a large-scale 3D “fourth screen”—like the giant wave featured on the SMTown Coex Building nearby—that also helps activate the streetscape. In plan, patient floors are efficient, flexible, and cost effective, with patient rooms surrounding nursing and support areas. Visitors arrive through an ante room or “safe area” before entering the inpatient unit for enhanced infection control. Once inside the streamlined patient room, the zigzag of the façade creates an expanded family area with floor to ceiling glass offering expansive views. From inside, the insulated glass panels with an embedded wood screen are transparent to provide views to the city and park, while also creating a warm glow that offers an invisible “feel good” experience to patients and families. Conceived as a gem in the park, the jewel-like patient tower sits atop a robust diagnostics and treatment block, with outpatient clinics on the lower two floors. The tower, clad in “Okatech” reflective glass in a crenelated pattern, is simple in form, and complements the local architecture. From the city, park, and surrounding highways, the hospital is a recognizable landmark and elegant, shimmering iconic symbol of oneness.