Marcus Tower at Piedmont Hospital

How can a strategic new gateway structure to an existing campus provide much needed capacity and resources while also creating an iconic destination in the South for wellness, healing and exceptional healthcare? The design team was challenged to provide a new patient tower that embodies southern hospitality and embraces the patients, staff and visitors from the surrounding communities and beyond. Through a design language that creates a tailored and choreographed experience, the symbiotic relationship between the interior and exterior was crucial in solidifying and redefining the current healthcare model. It lays the groundwork for blurring the line between the community, hospitality, and healthcare. As these three concepts cross-pollinate and morph in an integrated design expression, it allows a platform for Piedmont to grow into the community as a healthcare hub of the future. Some of the design challenges included connecting buildings throughout the campus, constructing a high-rise tower on a dense urban site, planning for horizontal and vertical expansion by incorporating multiple shell floors for future growth, operational improvements as the result of Lean process improvements workshops, enhancing the furniture experience for patients, visitors and staff, providing flexible plan layouts that allow for change and to provide efficient building systems. The design team crafted a vision around the idea of creating an Iconic Health Destination that serves as a threshold for care, community engagement, commercial/residential/institutional uses, and the internal and external communities it serves.