Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital

Dubai Health is establishing the first comprehensive cancer hospital in Dubai – the Hamdan Bin Rashid Cancer Hospital (HBRCH) – to bring together leading expertise to manage prevention, diagnosis, and treatment within a single state-of-the-art healthcare facility. The 55,000 square metre hospital will house 50 clinics, 30 clinical trial areas, 60 infusion rooms, 10 urgent care rooms, 5 radiotherapy rooms, and 116 inpatient beds to meet the current and future needs of the UAE population. Located in the context of a vision for a future masterplan for a world-class Cancer Institute, Hamdan Bin Rashid Square creates a new civic square and centre of gravity. The building design draws inspiration from the ghaf tree - the national tree of the UAE - which has symbolic and cultural significance as an emblem of life, peace, strength, and tolerance. These notions resonate deeply with environments of care and have inspired an architectural solution that embraces the natural environment as both a metaphor for health, resilience, and sustainability, and as the setting for cancer prevention, treatment, and recovery. The gentle twist of the hospital massing reveals a series of roof terraces with 360-degree views providing chemotherapy patients direct access to beautifully curated healing gardens as they spend time receiving treatment. The lower day zone of the Hospital is grounded in its material tone while the upper sleep zone has a lighter feel, consistent in materiality with a simple platonic form. At the heart of the new hospital is the sanctuary garden: a multi-storey open-air courtyard which brings daylight and vegetation deep into the core of the building and furnishes the various departmental reception and waiting areas with elevated internal gardens of their own. The sanctuary anchors the project: it is the focal point around which the building twists, its centre of gravity, and the principle organizing element for the interior circulation. At its terminus at the lowest level the sanctuary features a single ghaf tree in a garden designed for contemplation, prayer, and introspection. In total, the project features 19 distinct garden areas throughout its 9-storey height creating an oasis of care that contrasts beautifully with its surrounding environment. The HBRCH project is targeting LEED Gold certification and will meet the requirements for WELL Building Standards. The design features a high-performance building envelope, low carbon design strategies, and integrated rooftop photovoltaics. The deep façade is designed to maximize views from patient and staff spaces while passively managing solar gain and glare. The hospital is scheduled to open to patients in 2026.