Rebranding of Pantai Hospital Ipoh // Kuee Architect

Text description provided by the architects.

The original Pantai Hospital Ipoh was first opened in May 1995. After 25 years of serving the local community as one of most prestigious hospital in the city, in 2020 the CEO had the intention to upgrade the hospital. Being a forward-thinking individual, the CEO initiated a total re-branding exercise which involved the addition and renovation of the café, level 2 ward and the façade.This submission particularly focuses on the façade re-branding.

The brief was to create a modern, sleek façade which accentuate the presence of the hospital. With the site located at a prominent corner at a busy road junction, the Architect has been very careful in the selection of material and colour so as not to distract too much of the traffic’s attention.

The use of the background colour selected was plain white – clean, simple so as to blend with the existing wall. The highlights were introduced with the hospital’s corporate bright blue. By selecting several variances of blue and grey tones which are not too overwhelming, the Architect has successfully complemented the facade with the corporate blue nicely.

Framed by a distinct white frame consisted of aluminium vertical strips, the coloured fins were scattered in a well-planned yet seemingly random manner.

Number of fins were maximized at both the east and west side, to block as much sunlight as possible to the interior at these directions. Gaps at 200m were allowed in between fins as advised by the C&S engineer to prevent strong wind lifting the structure.The original arch-shaped art deco of the car porches were removed completely and replaced by forward-looking modern clean slabs.

Both car porches on the front and side entrances were extended and cladded with sleek aluminium panels, decently overlaid with glass skylight to allow more lights into the drop off driveway below.

With patient’s experience as the architect’s utmost concern, the radical design of the façade has carved out squares for existing windows to have direct views out.

Decorated with planters which were installed with irrigation system at timely manner, the choice of blue flower Plumbago Auriculata by the client was intentionally made, again to match with the hospital’s corporate colour.

There were several green intentions implemented in the design. Rain harvesting system was applied to collect rain water for the new planter automated irrigation system.

All new lighting for the facade uplight and for car porches were LEDs which would use 90% less electricity power than original lighting. Centralised switches controlled by zoning were introduced to reduce overall electricity wastage.

All in all, to align with Pantai Hospital’s intention to be at the forefront of the country’s healthcare industry, the new façade has given the hospital a fresh new look which should serve as a benchmark of other hospitals under the group as intended.

This new avant-garde design with its radical geometries and striking appearance, we believe, would still be relevant to the country’s contemporary architecture scene in many years to come..