Redevelopment of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, 1998 onwards
Stage 3 of the redevelopment of The Royal Melbourne Hospital involved the construction of an additional 3 floors above the Front Entry Building (Levels 5, 6 and 7). The strategy for fitout of these floors was similar to levels 3 and 4, completed by Billard Leece Partnership during Stage 2.
Each floor provides accommodation for 60 inpatient beds in an arrangement that provides flexibility of ward sizes to ensure the maximum utilisation of space. e.g. 2x30 bed wards, or smaller wards with sub-specialist areas. The fitted out floors are being used for Medical patients (60 beds – including an Aged Care Medical Unit, and a Dementia Management Unit, as well as Nephrology patients), and Surgical patients (Plastics and Orthopaedics).
The areas vacated by these wards in the Main Block were immediately utilised for clinical support spaces associated with vacating the Charles Connibere Building (part of the Royal Women’s Hospital Enabling Works also undertaken by Billard Leece Partnership). The 60 bed floorplate design combined the floor areas of the new Front Entry Building space, and a major refurbishment of the (former) Outpatients building; the interiors seamlessly joining the two.
The planning was based around the briefing principle of a generic ward, with minor modifications made to suit the management specialties and sub-specialties contained within. This principle was primarily to allow for wards to be adapted or even moved in the future, without the need for substantial construction works.
Also included in the project was the completion of the Helipad, straddling the roofs of the Front Entry and (former) Outpatients Building. This helipad is linked via high speed lifts to the Emergency department – 1 lift was installed as part of a previous stage, 1 installed as part of Stage 3. In addition, multi-level links were constructed between the new wards and the Clinical Services Building, allowing patients to be transported from inpatient to procedural areas, without being taken through the main public lift lobbies at each floor.
