| Architect |
Frederick Woodhead of Yorke Rosenberg Mardall |
| Date
Built |
1974 - 1978 |
| Location |
Wellington Place, St John's Wood |
| Description |
|
The Wellington
Hospital describes itself as, "
...the largest independent hospital in
the UK, with almost four decades of
expertise in treating patients from the
UK and overseas. The hospital has an
international reputation for offering a
premium service in key areas of
healthcare, including: neurosurgery,
cardiac care, orthopaedics, acute
neurological rehabilitation and
gynaecology." The hospital
occupies 4 buildings including the South and
North blocks designed by the architect
Frederick Woodhead. In his obituary,
published by the Guardian on
... the architect responsible for
several buildings that altered attitudes
to hospital design in this country. An
early exponent of "sense-sensitive"
ideas, he was aware of the need to
create a healing environment for
patients and not just focus on what the
building was going to do for the doctors
and nurses. This led him to devise
hospitals with single rooms and four-bed
wards, rather than the large wards and
endless corridors that had come to
typify hospital architecture." The hospital's blog published a piece in 2012 celebrating its 38th birthday. In that article they say that the South Building was originally commissioned by the British and Commonwealth Shipping Group. When it opened its doors on April 25, 1974 it offered, " 98 rooms and three operating theatres". The building was, " ... built in the shape of a ziggurat, allowing each room to capture the maximum amount of natural light in each patient room."    **************
Woodhead went on to design the North Building which opened in 1978. It is located at the far end of the block on the corner with Circus Road and features a similar stepped design, although only on the rear of the building.    |
|
|
Wellington
Hospital, St. John's Wood, London
 |
