Architects: The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD)
Area: 202,000 m²
Year: Design 2019–2020; Completion 2024
Photography: Zhao Qiang, Wu Qingshan
Lead Architects: Chen Jian
Architects Team: Li Bing, Shen Jihuang, Qiao Hongbo, Ying Qian, Xu Fang, Xu Yisheng, Mu Ge, Chen Junfeng, Jiang Zheyuan, Huang Kaiyue, Yan Xuejiao, Zu Wu, Zhang Yangqian
Structural Engineering: Sheng Jiepan, Yin Xiong, Wang Caiquan, Zhu Danyang, Zhang Chen
Plumbing Design: Wang Bo, Zheng Xuemei, Jin Yibei, Fan Yonghuan
Electrical Design: Mao Tian, Zheng Jian, Zheng Jianzhou, Zhang Weikang, Xu Jianqi
HVAC Design: Zhang Minmin, Wu Yixue, He Meiling, Chen Daiwei, Hu Yiqi, Li Haojun
Intelligent Design: Ma Jian, Zhang Wubo, Chen Jia, Ni Gaojun, Wang Fei
Curtain Wall Design: Jiang Hao, Huang Li, Zhou Zhimin, Yu Xing, Huang Peijun
Interior Design: Sun Haifeng, Zheng Wenjie, Ye Xiaodi, Mao Wenjiang, Chen Zhengli, Bi Xiangao, Zhang Jianfen
Landscape Design: Gao Fei, Xu Weidong, Li Weiqiang, Yu Ting, Ye Xingxing, Lin Zhihao
Lighting Design: Wang Xiaodong, Liu Yihan, Feng Baile, Wu Xuhui
Geotechnical Design: Chen Yun, Yang Qinfeng, Zhao Zhiyuan, Hu Genxing, Fang Lize
Client: Tonglu County Urban Development Operation Co., Ltd.
Location: Tonglu County, Zhejiang
Country: China

Situated in the High-speed Rail Future City of Tonglu County, Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Tonglu Branch redefines the typology of large-scale healthcare architecture in emerging urban areas. Designed by The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD), the comprehensive Grade-A tertiary facility integrates environmental sensitivity with advanced functionality. The hospital spans 202,000 square meters and accommodates 1,100 beds, achieving China’s Three-star Green Building certification through its fully steel-structured design. Its master plan adopts a clover-shaped layout that enhances natural light, ventilation, and circulation efficiency. Modular planning and flexible spatial arrangements ensure adaptability for future medical demands. With a visual language inspired by Tonglu’s landscape, the building’s silver aluminum and blue-gray glass façade evokes the flowing aesthetic of the famed painting “Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.” The project serves as both a pioneering medical institution and a model for sustainable urban development within the region.

Hangzhou first people’s hospital tonglu branch / the architectural design & research institute of zhejiang university (uad)

Conceived amid the rapid urbanization of Tonglu’s High-speed Rail Future City, the Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Tonglu Branch stands as a contemporary response to the evolving relationship between architecture, healthcare, and nature. The relocation of the hospital was envisioned not only to address capacity pressures within the provincial healthcare system but also to establish a benchmark for county-level medical design in post-pandemic China. UAD’s approach reconciles the dual challenges of large-scale efficiency and humanized care within a constrained, elongated site.

Central to the concept is the introduction of the “clover-shaped” nursing unit, a first in Chinese hospital design. Three inpatient wings extend from a shared central core, allowing balanced daylight access, cross-ventilation, and streamlined circulation. This configuration also accommodates interdisciplinary medical practices and supports future departmental evolution. A through-type medical street connects the outpatient, medical technology, and inpatient zones, forming a coherent and navigable complex. From the sunlit entrance hall, visitors experience a clear spatial orientation, with visual transparency linking the hospital’s key functions.

Architecturally, the complex evokes the soft contours of Tonglu’s surrounding mountains. Its gently curved skyline and leaf-like massing resonate with the natural landscape immortalized in Huang Gongwang’s “Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.” Clad in gradient aluminum panels and blue-gray glazing, the structure projects a refined modernity that bridges tradition and progress. The podium incorporates colonnades and deep overhangs, creating sheltered transitional zones that balance climatic comfort and architectural rhythm.

Functionality and resilience underpin the hospital’s design ethos. The adoption of a fully steel structural system ensures energy efficiency and accelerates construction, addressing the growing need for rapid yet sustainable healthcare infrastructure. Modular planning further enhances spatial flexibility, enabling standardized clinical layouts and adaptable service zones. Light-filled courtyards within the outpatient areas foster a therapeutic atmosphere, while shared lounges between the nursing units offer restful spaces for staff and visitors.

Through its synthesis of human-centered design, structural innovation, and environmental responsibility, Hangzhou First People’s Hospital Tonglu Branch redefines the spatial language of modern healthcare architecture. It stands as a symbol of a future city harmoniously integrated with nature—an embodiment of resilience, adaptability, and the quiet optimism of healing architecture.