UPMC Presbyterian’s inpatient tower reached a significant construction milestone, with the placement of one of the final structural steel beams on the top floor of the new 17-story facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This is the hospital’s largest construction project and the largest current healthcare construction project in Pennsylvania. When complete in late 2026, the 1.2-million-square-foot tower will house 636 private patient rooms equipped with technological advances that will support the extraordinary experience of patients and staff.
Ethnographic interviews and focus groups with patients and their families were used to gain insights into the patients’ whole health journey. This information, along with Evidence-Based Design research, was used in the design of public and patient care spaces in the hospital and tested with users through virtual reality.
The new tower features a series of terraced gardens that honor the site’s historic legacy as a place of “healing on a hill” and conceal important services and functional components. The entire entry experience, public circulation, clinical waiting areas, staff/visitor services and patient floors will enjoy park views and the healing power of nature.
HGA led architectural efforts partnering with local architectural firms, IKM and Architectural Innovations, in addition to structural and MEP engineering. Additional project partners include contractors, Whiting Turner and PJ Dick; CJL, MEP engineering; Langan, civil engineering; Rippe Associates, foodservice design; Olin, landscape architecture; Lerch Bates, vertical transportation and logistics; Exit, wayfinding; and Vantage, technology.
