Artist impressions of Bendigo Hospital Stage 2 unveiled

The $630 million state-of-the-art new Bendigo Hospital has won a highly acclaimed international award for excellence in design, as artist impressions of Stage Two are unveiled for the first time.

Minister for Health Jill Hennessy today released schematic designs for Stage Two showing a new linking bridge over Arnold St, a helipad and multi-level car park.

The new images come as Stage One of the landmark project won the Best of Asia Pacific Design Award from the International Interior Design Association in the healthcare category. It is the only Australian building to win an award in the competition.

“It is a shining example of innovative, world-class hospital design where patient needs are front and centre,” said Ms Hennessy.

The top international honour recognises inspiring design and acute architectural understanding of the way people live and work in a local context.

To provide a tranquil, healing environment for patients and their families, the purpose-built hospital is flooded with natural light and surrounded by 46 courtyards and terraces.

The hospital was designed by health planners Silver Thomas Hanley in collaboration with architectural firm Bates Smart, the Victorian Government and health partners Bendigo Health and Exemplar Health.

Opening to patients in January, Stage One featured 372 inpatient beds, 72 same-day beds, 11 operating theatres, an integrated cancer centre, a new 25-bed maternity unit and an 80-bed mental health unit.

Stage Two is progressing in partnership with Bendigo Health, Exemplar Health and Lend Lease and will feature a two level link bridge over Arnold Street, a helipad, a multi-deck carpark with 505 extra spaces, 15 short-stay accommodation units, a conference facility along with significant infrastructure and landscaping upgrades.

The second stage is scheduled for completion in mid-2018. Bendigo Health will receive $290.5 million in Victorian Government funding this financial year, which is $25.6 million 0- or 9.7 per cent - more than the previous year.