Tullamore Hosiptal wins best healthcare building

The Midland Regional Hospital at Tullamore has won Best Healthcare Building at the Irish Architectural Awards this week. 'We are delighted with this achievement. Significant time and effort was put into the initial design process and eventual construction phase of the new hospital,' said Miriam O"Callaghan, Project Manager of the development. The hospital was one of 35 shortlisted for the prestigious architectural award which came down to a public vote. Earlier this year, the hospital received international recognition when it was "highly commended" at the Building Better Healthcare Awards after a submission by architects Murray O"Laoire and Brian O"Connell Associates. 'The new hospital was designed and built to the highest quality. It is fitting that the design, which is completely patient focused, should be considered with the top design projects in Ireland,' said Peter Waters, Hospital Manager at the Midland Regional Hospital. The main principle involved in the design of the new hospital is the 'main street or thoroughfare' concept along which all patient and visitor traffic moves. This design principle creates a social aspect to the hospital as everyone has to move along the main street to get to their destination. This concept has ensured that the main area or main street conveys the sense of a public space in much the same way as it would in any public building. In addition to this, the architects also wanted to ensure that unlike hospital designs of earlier times, where there was a very definite feel that you were in a hospital, the new Tullamore hospital has a very public building feel about it, right from the moment you walk in the front door into the open-plan reception area. Brian O"Connell, leading architect with Murray O"Laoire and Brian O"Connell Associates said: 'Hospital"s should be a focal point, a landmark in a town. One of the first criteria we applied to the new Tullamore hospital was to design a building of architectural significance.'