Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed its design for Malpensa Hospital in northern Italy, featuring a structure that wraps around a series of gardens and landscaped rooftop terraces.
Located between Milan and Varese, the new facility will merge the Gallarate and Busto Arsizio hospitals, creating a single healthcare hub intended to serve approximately one million residents in the area.
Commissioned by the Lombardy Regional Health Authority through an international competition, the hospital will be developed by Zaha Hadid Architects in partnership with Italian firm Studio Plicchi, engineering company RINA, and consultants WSP.
The design includes five above-ground floors and a basement level, accommodating outpatient and inpatient services, maternal and child care units, diagnostic and therapy areas, clinics, and laboratories. These facilities will be positioned around open-air spaces.
A central walkway will traverse the ground floor, creating a public route that links the entrance plaza with gardens and internal courtyards at the heart of the building.
Additional outdoor spaces will be provided on landscaped rooftop terraces, designed to offer a tranquil environment for patients and visitors alike.
Zaha Hadid Architects notes that Malpensa Hospital will utilize a modular structural approach, allowing for future expansion and adaptation as medical technologies evolve to address the region’s changing needs.
“The new hospital’s design addresses three fundamental priorities: meeting the region’s growing demand for healthcare, integrating advanced medical technology with human-centric design and ensuring the community has access to medical services of the highest quality,” stated Zaha Hadid Architects.
“This project embodies a holistic approach to healthcare innovation, the preservation of local heritage, and ecological restoration—creating a welcoming, sustainable campus that serves the community today and can adapt for tomorrow.”
The hospital’s exterior will be clad in aluminum panels, with gently curved forms extending from the facade to create integrated planters.
Inside, spaces will feature wood and textile finishes. Certain areas are dedicated to social, educational, and cultural activities, fostering stronger connections with the surrounding community.
The landscaping strategy will retain existing woodland and introduce wetlands and bioswales to collect and reuse stormwater, supporting the hospital’s ecological goals.
Other recent projects by Zaha Hadid Architects include a proposed residential skyscraper in Dubai featuring a lattice envelope, and the newly opened Greater Bay Area Sports Centre in Guangzhou, China.
All images and video courtesy of X Universe.
The post Zaha Hadid Architects to arrange Italian hospital around multi-level gardens appeared first on Dezeen.
