Providing 375,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities for the University of Maryland Medical System medical center, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building emphasizes a patient-focused environment while resolving complex programmatic and site relationships.
Located in downtown Baltimore, the medical center’s emergency services are a statewide resource, treating patients transported from throughout Maryland. The Weinberg Building comprises 54 private Emergency Department (ED) examination rooms, 19 Operating Rooms (ORs), an expanded diagnostic imaging department, and a women’s and children’s center featuring state-of-the-art obstetrics facilities, as well as a patient resource center, employee education center, chapel, and food court.
Adjoining diverse architectural styles within the hospital complex, the mass of the building defines an urban street wall along Lombard Street. The lower three floors are aligned with the base of the adjacent building, while the upper floors are set back and respond to the scale of the complex as a whole. A vertical, glazed stair tower marks the emergency entry and symbolizes the hospital to those approaching from the west. Brick is used to relate the building to its context, and is cast in gridded, lightweight panels to create a modern expression. These gestures help to unify the hospital complex while giving a distinct identity to the building.
