Hospitals 08 February 2023

New Footscray Hospital virtual engagement room wins gold award

The New Footscray Hospital virtual engagement room is a multi-award-winning project. Most recently, in January 2023, it won two Australian Design Awards.

The 'virtual room' was designed to connect with the community when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in 2021 prevented the project team from holding in-person events.

The community was invited to move through the virtual room to learn more about the design and construction of the new $1.5 billion hospital. They could connect with the project team via interviews, 3D tours and opportunities to ask questions.

The Australian Design Awards highlighted the engagement room's opportunity '... to create a long-term, inclusive, innovative, and adaptive digital environment ...'

Better Future Australian Design Awards

Since launched, the virtual engagement room has won various design awards, including:

2023 Australian Design Awards
- Gold: Architecture - Community & Civic
2023 Australian Design Awards
- Silver: Digital - Government Services
2022 GOV Design Awards
- Gold: Architecture - Community & Civic
2022 Melbourne Design Awards
- Gold: Digital - Government Services

Features of the virtual engagement room

Visitors to the virtual room could explore interviews with the builders and experience a 3D tour of the hospital designs. The room also included kids’ activities and an opportunity to contribute to a time capsule that will be placed on the site of the new Footscray Hospital.

There was also a ‘community corner’ that highlighted the people who helped shape this remarkable investment for Melbourne’s west.

The room was regularly updated as the project moved into new stages of construction. It provided content in multiple languages and included opportunities to send questions to the project team and download more information.

Virtual engagement room

A virtual space in which a man using a wheelchair watches a screen

The award-winning new Footscray Hospital virtual engagement room closed on 31 May 2022.

An accessible version of the virtual engagement room continues to be available on our website.

About the new Footscray Hospital

The new Footscray Hospital will support the increasing demand from Melbourne’s booming western suburbs, ensuring families can get the care they need close to home.

Construction is underway, with the new hospital set to open in 2025.

Learn more about the new Footscray Hospital via our dedicated project page.