Scheme at Guy鈥檚 brings treatment under one roof

Laing O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 new cancer centre at Guy鈥檚 Hospital in London opened last week.

The 拢160m building, designed by RSHP with healthcare specialist architects Stantec, brings together most cancer treatment at the hospital under one roof 鈥 previously cancer care was provided in 13 different locations in eight different buildings on the St Thomas鈥 and Guy鈥檚 sites.

The 14 storey building is arranged in four stacked villages 鈥 welcome, radiotherapy, outpatients and chemotherapy 鈥 each with its own distinct identity relating to a particular patient need.

RSHP partner in charge of the scheme Ivan Harbour said: 鈥淎rchitecture has the ability and responsibility to improve people鈥檚 lives and nowhere is this more important than in a building dedicated to making people well.

鈥淥ur aim has been to create a place equally focused on patient care and treatment, a welcoming building of human scale that does not feel like a hospital but delivers state-of-the-art treatment in an uplifting environment for visitors and staff.鈥

The new Cancer Centre at Guy鈥檚 is the first hospital in Europe to locate its radiotherapy treatment above ground.