2020 Showcase Honorable Mention: Iconic Innovation
The 600-bed New Ibn Sina Hospital Rabat, an unbuilt/conceptual design submission to the Design Showcase from HKS Inc. (Dubai, Dallas, and Singapore) and Abdou Lahlou Architectes (Casablanca, Morocco), offers a monumental solution for growing healthcare needs in Rabat, Morocco.
A soaring, iconic tower is the hallmark of the project, and its base designed as a destination for the community by housing an education center, a museum, and retail, complemented by an outdoor plaza and public garden spaces. To deepen the 1.5 million-square-foot building’s connection to its location, the design leverages Rabat’s history of textiles and fabrics by using a “thread” element throughout the site and tower to create a geometric frame. Jurors lauded the attention paid to the hospital’s environmental strategy, especially. For example, the façade was carefully crafted to be responsive to the environment by minimizing glare inside, controlling energy intake, increasing comfort in patient rooms, and optimizing performance. The hospital itself is broken down into neighborhoods built around courtyards, bringing in additional natural light and views to nature.