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Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
  • Typical exam room
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    Typical exam room
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Typical exam room
  • Hanging garden rendering
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    Hanging garden rendering
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Hanging garden rendering
  • Town commons
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    Town commons
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Town commons
  • Aerial rendering
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    Aerial rendering
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Aerial rendering
  • Womens Hospital entrance
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    Womens Hospital entrance
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Womens Hospital entrance
  • Cafeteria terrace rendering
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    Cafeteria terrace rendering
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Cafeteria terrace rendering
  • Womens Hospital view from commons
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    Womens Hospital view from commons
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Womens Hospital view from commons
  • General lobby rendering
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    General lobby rendering
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    General lobby rendering
  • Rendering of rooftop commons view toward general hospital
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    Rendering of rooftop commons view toward general hospital
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Rendering of rooftop commons view toward general hospital
  • Pediatrics lobby
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    Pediatrics lobby
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Pediatrics lobby
  • General patient room rendering
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    General patient room rendering
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    General patient room rendering
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Ground floor key plan
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Tower floor key plan
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Garden Stacking
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Garden 1
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Garden 2
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    Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
    Garden 3
The Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) in a joint venture with ICME and Tilke Engineers & Architects, combines three hospitals into one 3-million-square-foot, 838-bed complex in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Shared medical facilities fill a two-story plinth at the base, and bed towers rise from the elevated ground plane of the podium’s roof. Design partner Mustafa K. Abadan, FAIA, says that this plane “is conceived as a very large oasis garden.” Access to the green space from above and below allows hospital employees, as well as patients (and their guests and extended families) to take advantage of the open-air spaces. But dealing with exterior conditions in the harsh weather of Abu Dhabi presents its own challenges: “One has to be very careful in how one shades these outdoor spaces because the climate is very hot and dry, and sometimes windy,” Abadan says. “Therefore, more covered, shaded, and somewhat internalized spaces mediate these climatic issues.” To that end, SOM employs orientation-dependent shading devices over the gardens, including fabric scrims with patterns drawn from culturally inspired motifs. SOM anticipates that the project will receive a certified rating within the Estidama guidelines (the Abu Dhabi LEED equivalent). Construction will begin in 2013.