Conceived as a healing village on a cavernous rock, the building’s composition comprises a lighter white mass resting on a heavy, red stone base, recalling the image of a Mediterranean village on a mountain. The red stone continues inside the building and is cut with public spaces, evoking rock passageways in Petra, Jordan. The horizontal interplay between crevices of the podium and the glass concourse integrates the building seamlessly with Hayarkon Park.
The materiality is echoed throughout the building, stepping away from simply a clinical environment to one that is spiritually comfortable. Architecturally, the importance of nurturing spiritual wellness and spirituality is centered in the ‘contemplation space,’ a non-denominational area for prayer and meditation. Floating between the park and public area, the contemplation space is the visual core and hub of the public space.
On the ground floor a u-shaped spine anchors the complex interior program with a sweeping gesture toward the park, while acting as a main wayfinding tool for visitors and patients. The central public space serves as the connection between three main programming functions: low technology areas such as the laboratory clinics and administrative spaces; high technology areas such as diagnostic imaging, intensive care units, procedural clinics, and operating rooms; and inpatient wards. The relationship between each program area emphasizes efficiency, simplicity, comfort, and excellence. For instance, separate circulation corridors avoid cross-contamination and provide comfort and privacy. Separate entries with direct connections to procedural areas allows surgeons on strict schedules to expediently prepare for surgery.
In a partially private healthcare system, the design of quality technology, environment, and care standards are crucial to market-style competition amongst healthcare providers. The Center brings the most advanced level of healthcare technology in Israel, which in turn attracts clients and improves patient outcomes. Assuta boasts easily adaptable industrialized operating rooms, designed as a pre-fabricated modular system, for future integration of technology. All rooms are connected to the hospital database through a touch screen allowing for control of all systems, access to medical files, ease of communication, and modifications to monitoring devices and equipment.