Designed by Perkins+Will, The New Hospital Tower Rush University Medical Center is part of a campus-wide transformation project, which also includes an orthopedic building, parking structure and new loading and delivery systems. The 800,000-square-foot hospital consists of 386 patient beds along with diagnostic and treatment facilities, such as surgery, radiology and emergency departments. The hospital is sited adjacent to the Eisenhower Expressway (a major arterial feeding the central area of Chicago) on the north, Ashland Avenue on the east and Harrison Street, the major internal street for the Rush Campus, on the south.
Photography: James Steinkamp, Steinkamp Photography
The organizational concept consists of a rectangular seven-story base, containing new diagnostic and treatment facilities, topped by a five-story curvilinear bed tower. The base connects to existing diagnostic treatment facilities to create a new continuous interventional platform. Part of the ground level of this base contains an emergency department, which has been designed to be an advanced emergency response center for the City of Chicago. The geometry of the bed tower maximizes views and natural light for patient rooms while also creating an environment for efficient and safe health care. Photography: James Steinkamp, Steinkamp Photography
The massing and architectural expression of the north, south, and east respond to the different surrounding conditions. The north elevation is simple and lar...