Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Abu Dhabi, 2018

  • SHEIKH KHALIFA MEDICAL CITY 2019 by Dragan Architecture Paris
  • SHEIKH KHALIFA MEDICAL CITY 2019 by Dragan Architecture Paris

Date 2018
Location Abu Dhabi

The biggest problem of the SKMC site is the chaotic traffic of vehicles inside. It looks more like a wild car park than a modern medical center. In addition, the number of vehicles will have to increase, which makes any "normal" solution impossible. We have to find a radical solution. We need to deeply rethink not only the SKMC site structure, but also how it works. It will be necessary to return the site to people: medical staff, patients and visitors, and to find a solution to turn the wild car park into a human space. Our proposal is to maintain vehicle access only for buildings located on the periphery of the site: - Karamah Street side, to the following buildings: Ambulance Building, Polyclinics, Emergency Department, Sheikh Khalifa Surgical Pavilion, Sheikh Khalifa Medical Pavilion. - Hazaa Bin Zayed Street side, to the following buildings: Executive Administration Building, Disease Prevention Screening Program, New Dialysis Center - Shaikh Bin Seed Al Maktoum Street side, to the following buildings: Behavior Science Pavilion, BSP Rehabilitation Unit. All these buildings will have direct access for the drop-off and sufficient parking units for disabled people, VIP, ambulances and taxi waiting. For all other users (medical staff, visitors, patients in hospitalization for a day or longer), we propose to build robot park buildings near the two main entrances of the site, which will be created from Karamah Street and Shaikh Bin Seed Al Maktoum Street. These fully automated car parks will consist of 6 car silos on each side, each accommodating 360 vehicles on 12 levels. The site will then have 4320 parking units, apart from the drop-off parkings described above. The advantage of this solution is the reduced space required for cars and the time gained by users, who will no longer have to climb the ramps, find a place, go down to leave. An electric cart service will be available for medical staff and patients to circulate between buildings within the site. Thus, the site will be returned to pedestrians and can become a large garden. We divided this garden into 3 distinct areas: 1. The English Garden in the central area around the Old Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Center and the mosque. This garden will be crossed by walkways, with benches and lampposts, and will serve as a place for walking and rest. 2. The Public Square which continues the sports area (gymnasium, tennis courts and changing rooms). This public pedestrian space will integrate the "follies" (6 small buildings with cafes, shops, playing areas) and the open place for celebration events. The heliport will be integrated in this space. This pedestrian area will be partially covered and will have in the middle a basin decorated with fountains. 3. The Funeral Square in front of the Mortuary Building, which will be surrounded by two new buildings, to create a closed space separated from the rest of the garden, conducive to meditation. The entire network of internal circulations will be redesigned, composed of pedestrian walkways-electric vehicles common roads. The circulation of electric carts will be one way. Into the site, he cars will have access only to the car parks. Some new buildings are planned: 1. A second Ambulance building close to the existing one 2. A Gymnasium 3. A screen building in front of the Plant Room (37) which will close the pedestrian public space and may contain coffee-shops and shops 4. Two buildings closing the Funeral Square, which will serve as waiting lounges for families and funeral home, possibly also a new mosque 5. Shaikh Bin Seed Al Maktoum Street side, a series of buildings will close the built front. They can serve as housing for medical staff with shops on the ground floor.