National Heart Centre, Singapore Health Facility, Architecture Images

National Heart Centre

Singaporean Health Facility Development – design by ONG&ONG Architects

page updated 10 Nov 2016 with new photos ; 13 Aug 2015

National Heart Centre in Singapore

Design: ONG&ONG Pte Ltd with Broadway Malyan

Location: Singapore

An architecture competition-winning entry for the first sustainable heart centre in Southeast Asia, the National Heart Centre Singapore was conceived by ONG&ONG Pte Ltd, with Broadway Malyan.

The design concept was inspired by the medicinal courtyard gardens of the Middle Ages, and grounded in the recognition of the correlation between the healing properties of natural light and planting.

A design philosophy of “placing people first” further propelled the creation of an environmentally responsive space that people – be they patients, hospital personnel or visitors – can work, play and recuperate in.

This is seen from the open spaces that form the heart of the design. A collection of different healthcare-related facilities and social functions are arranged and gathered around such internal and external open spaces.

These elements seek to heal the sick through the provision of natural light, ventilation and view as well as mend the built environment through the provision of planting that acts as a carbon sponge, noxious pollutant filter and heat island reducer.

The network of open spaces not only cultivates greater social interaction opportunities but also improves ease of movement, which in turn aids in mitigating potential anxieties that patients and visitors may face when navigating the building for the first time.

In fact, careful consideration was given to the operational layout of the building to minimise travel distances within the centre, with patient-fronting areas (such as outpatient clinics, imaging laboratories, physiotherapy and cardiac rehabilitation services, and facilities for day surgery) concentrated within the first eight floors of the building and non-patient-fronting areas (such as research laboratories, staff training facilities, and administrative offices) are allocated the remaining four upper floors. The building is integrated with intuitive way-finding design to help patients and visitors find their way around.

The National Heart Centre Singapore’s unique design is not only defined by its philosophy on “placing people first”, but also by its incorporation of modular building methods.

Recognising the speed in which medical advancements are achieved, such building methods ensure that the structure of the building remains flexible and adaptable both internally and externally, allowing for efficient and potential growth in the future. The employment of modern methods of modularisation also aids in the ease and speed of construction.

Through a rigorous environmental, social and economic design, the National Heart Centre Singapore sets the standard as a world-class facility that is a global precedent for sustainable heart-related healthcare development.

National Heart Centre in Singapore – Building Information

Completion: 2014
Location: Singapore
Architect: ONG&ONG Pte Ltd
Project Director: Dr Goh Chong Chia
Project Manager: PM Link Pte Ltd
Landscape Architect: ONG&ONG Pte Ltd
M&E Engineer: Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner (SEA) Pte Ltd
Quantity Surveyor: Davis Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd
C&S Engineer: Squire Mech Pte Ltd
Main Contractor: Shimizu Corporation
Client: Singapore Ministry of Health

Photographs: Jaume Albert Marti