VCCC a triumph of design
The best part of a year from completion and the new Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) is beginning to show why it looms as one of, if not the most important building to be delivered in Melbourne since Federation Square. The $1.27 billion project located on the highly visible Haymarket roundabout holds prime position within Melbourne's medical and research precinct.
What makes the VCCC impressive even this far from completion is its spectacular exterior. Hospitals by their nature are inward-looking institutions; what happens internally is exponentially more important that how the actual building expresses itself to its surrounds. This is evidenced by recent equivalent large-scale or current hospital builds around Melbourne such as Austin Hospital, Box Hill Hospital, The Royal Women's Hospital and Monash Childrens.
All four examples are externally functional/austere without being altogether much more. Even the recent Royal Children's Hospital with it's excellent frontage to Flemington Road is dominated by precast to its remaining elevations.
This is not the case for the VCCC. From every aspect the building is highly expressive while carrying splashes of McBride Charles Ryan's trademark purple. Flowing lines define the exterior as does the depth of colour and detail; most of which has yet to be applied and will appear as an elongated white ribbon over parts of the building.
It's quite apparent that the parties involved in the design and delivery of the VCCC have made a conscious and concerted effort to produce a facility with both form and function; a statement building for its time.
The new design is to be symbolic and representative of the bringing together of the project partners, of the creation of new networks and clusters of collaboration. The building will have an imagery that is expressive of optimism and progress.
It will be instantly recognisable, both locally and internationally.
Plenary Group
VCCC Project highlights
- Client: Victorian Government
- Builder: Grocon/PCL Joint Venture
- Architects: STHDI + MCR – a partnership of Silver Thomas Hanley and Designinc with McBride Charles Ryan
- 13 level 120,000sqm facility
- Royal Melbourne Hospital 12,000sqm extension and refurbishment
The project will deliver:
- 160 overnight inpatient cancer beds
- 42-bed capacity intensive care unit
- 110 same day beds
- Dedicated clinical trials unit with 24 treatment places
- 25,000sqm of research space
- 8 operating theatres and two procedure rooms
- 8 radiation therapy bunkers
- Education and training facilities (a 250 and 60 person lecture theatre plus 47 seminar/meeting rooms throughout).
As for the interiors, VCCC is on target for a mid 2016 completion. Dominated by a large internal atrium casting natural light to all areas, the central void is a key element of the design which projects partners say will immeasurably enhance the internal environment of the centre.
While the atrium and other interior design features are something to look forward to, see below a set of images taken in recent days covering all external perspectives the VCCC has to offer.