Five big-time projects have been released ahead of the Civic Design Review on November 29, but one design proposal stands out from the rest: Norman Foster’s curvy and shiny New Patient Pavilion (NPP) for Penn Medicine.
The 1,250,000-square-foot structure designed by Foster+Partners certainly makes a statement, based on the many flashy renderings included in the 25-page design proposal. Aluminum is paired with glass to create a tan—if not gold—shimmer both day and night.
The $1.5 billion NPP will replace the already-demolished Penn Tower and is set to include 500 inpatient rooms. According to the plans, there will be multiple eating areas, a chapel, and kitchen, and a pedestrian bridge that connects to another campus building. The idea is that the pavilion will serve as the campus hub for the entire Penn Medicine campus.
Penn first gave an early, non-official presentation of its plans to the CDR in May, after receiving the OK from the city planning commission. After this official presentation on November 29, the university plans to begin construction by the end of this fall and be ready for occupancy in early 2021.
This won’t be the only Foster+Partners project to change the city’s skyline. The firm also designed the 59-story Comcast Innovation and Technology Center, which is currently under construction and will be the city’s first supertall building.
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