Grafton Way Building

The University College Hospital Grafton Way Building by Scott Tallon Walker Architects in association with Edward Williams Architects has completed, providing a major new healthcare facility offering cutting-edge cancer treatment to NHS and private patients in the UK. In line with UCLH’s visionary plan, the new hospital delivers almost 37,000m2 of contemporary architecturally innovative facilities and houses one of just two NHS Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) centres in the UK, making it one of the leading oncology treatment hospitals in the world. Central to UCLH’s vision was the aspiration to create a facility that delivers the very best medical treatment and aids patient and staff wellbeing and experience. The new building is located on a tight challenging site, in close proximity to two Grade II-listed UCL buildings and directly below the Mayor of London’s protected view corridor. To create the required clinical space while respecting protected views and surrounding heritage, the building has a significant five-storey plus mezzanine basement, equivalent in cubic volume to the Royal Albert Hall, and presenting significant engineering challenges. Above this there are seven floors of clinical and support accommodation. This landmark hospital houses the PBT centre, and a surgical complex comprised of eight operating theatres, surgical recovery area, and surgical ward. Additionally, there is a full imaging centre, ten-bed critical care unit and three floors of inpatient wards for patients with blood disorders creating one of Europe's largest dedicated Haem-Oncology hospitals, and one and a half floors for a private inpatient haematology service. Waiting areas have been created for children, teenagers and young adults, as well as a Macmillan Living Room providing holistic patient care. The brief required a solution that was an affordable, functional, and high-quality building. The design had to be consistent with the best in clinical design, in line with Trusts’ aspirations as a world-class provider of clinical care. As this is mainly a Cancer Hospital, there was a great emphasis on comfort and wellbeing, particularly in relation to long term and immune-compromised Haem-Oncology inpatients. The building is characterised by generosity of space, transparency, and sensory encounters to offer respite from its busy city location. To align with adjacent buildings and to protect light and sight lines, the building is stepped back across its section and split into two corresponding blocks. These are connected by a spacious, light- filled atrium designed to bring natural daylight right down through the building and into all inpatient rooms. The building’s innovative bespoke ‘veiled’ façade provides solar shading and layers of privacy, while providing greater openness, connectivity, and visibility to the outside world for these long-term patients. A contemporary material palette complements the existing Portland stone cladding of neighbouring buildings, and the project has a positive urban impact on the previously derelict site. Internally, the choices of material, colour palette, motifs and artwork are guided by a ‘natural garden’ theme. The design embraces the principles of direct visual access to natural daylight, materials and landscapes through a series of planted terraces intended to flower year-round.