City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., is one of only 11 dedicated cancer centers in the U.S. The center is undergoing a 20-year expansion and enhancement project that will add approximately 1 million square feet to its campus. To act as a distinct entry monument for the community, as well as for patients travelling from all over Southern California, a new parking structure was strategically placed at the northeast corner of the campus.
A kinetic façade highlights new parking structure at City of Hope Medical Center
Photo: RMA Photography
Designed by CO Architects, Los Angeles, as part of a design-build team with TRC Parkitects, Irvine, Calif., and McCarthy Building Cos. Inc., St. Louis, the defining feature on Parking Structure A is a kinetic façade that embraces the center’s dedication to holistic cancer care, while contributing to sustainability initiatives and visitor safety.
The first thing visitors see upon arrival is the colorful, dynamic kinetic façade that adorns three sides of the parking garage. With more than 19,000 colorful metal tags, the façade pays homage to the “wishing trees” that are part of City of Hope’s rich heritage and culture where patients, friends and families have long tied brightly colored messages on branches of designated campus trees. These messages are inscribed with well wishes of hope and healing. In a similar fashion to the tree tags, the wind animates the parking garage façade, eliciting neural responses in patients, who says they are both mesmerized and soothed while watching the tags move.
CO Architects worked with EXTECH/Exterior Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, to design the 0.040-inch-thick aluminum tags in various sizes and colors. The flapper tags are coated in six shades of Kynar paint. In addition to being an engaging architectural feature, the tags also allow natural ventilation into the garage, while reducing the amount of solar gain and glare. And, the façade system helps maintain visual access to and from the parking structure, an important passive safety measure.
Photo: RMA Photography
The 350,800-square-foot, six-story concrete parking structure has future capability for retail space on the ground level. Of the 1,087 parking stalls for patients and staff, 20% are designated for electric vehicles, which are located on the ground and second levels.
At each entrance to the parking garage, large City of Hope logos are prominently displayed within textured metal boxes. From a distance, the logos identify the destination, especially at night when they glow with backlighting. Inside, winding ribbon stairs with metal panels feature rectangular cutouts to bring visitors safely to the park level.