Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, which opened in October 2015, covers 65,000 sqm, contains 270 beds and cost £200m. The layout, by BDP, reflects the specifications of the children who helped steer the design from its inception – in particular, the desire to maintain contact with nature while in the hospital. Featuring green roofs and gardens, the Park wraps itself over and around the building. With an emphasis on high-quality personalised spaces for patients, the design provides 75-per-cent single bedrooms and impressive views of the surrounding parkland. The hospital’s large technical core has 16 theatres, a 48-bed intensive care unit and a large imaging department.

The new Royal Liverpool University Hospital is a 95,000 sqm acute hospital designed by NBBJ and HKS. Due for completion this autumn, it’s located on the existing hospital campus near Liverpool city centre. Housing 650 single beds, including 40 critical-care beds and 81 emergency assessment beds, it will be Liverpool’s main emergency centre capable of dealing with major trauma. The vision of the client NHS trust is to “develop a world-class hospital in an attractive and accessible site that is an integral part of the city”. The resulting hospital will be a contemporary landmark, which will reconnect and engage with the city while providing a healing environment that will enhance the patient, visitor and staff experience.