Designed by COX Architecture and Billard Leece Partnership in collaboration with landscape architects Tract, the new Footscray Hospital reimagines the role of healthcare architecture as civic and social infrastructure. Delivered by Plenary Health in partnership with the Victorian Government, Western Health and Victoria University, the $1.5 billion project establishes a new benchmark for community-centred healthcare in Melbourne’s rapidly growing west.
Rather than conceiving the hospital as a singular institutional object, the design adopts a campus model composed of five interconnected buildings organised around a central village green. This landscaped civic heart operates as both orientation device and community gathering space, embedding retail, food and beverage venues, ceremonial spaces and public amenities within the precinct. The ambition was to create a hospital that could become part of everyday life — a place people might visit for connection, respite or community activity, not solely when seeking medical care.
The project responds directly to Footscray’s identity as one of Australia’s most culturally diverse communities. Extensive consultation with local residents, Western Health staff and community representatives informed the design process, shaping a hospital intended to feel welcoming, inclusive and deeply connected to place. A dedicated multi-faith space and a First Nations courtyard, developed in collaboration with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders, are integrated into the public circulation network, recognising cultural and spiritual wellbeing as fundamental components of healing.
Internally, the hospital prioritises intuitive movement, daylight and access to nature. A generous internal “hospital street” links acute and sub-acute care zones while orienting visitors toward the village green, reducing stress and simplifying wayfinding. More than 20,000 square metres of terraces, courtyards, winter gardens and green roofs provide opportunities for patients, staff and visitors to connect with landscape throughout the healthcare journey.
Human-centred design principles are embedded at every scale. Rounded building forms soften the precinct’s presence within the urban context, while natural materials and sculptural timber ceilings introduce warmth and continuity throughout public spaces. Large windows and landscaped outlooks maximise visual connection to nature, supporting wellbeing and recovery. The project also incorporates significant cultural works, including the tapestry Welcome to Country – now you see me: seeing the invisible by First Nations artists Maree Clarke and Mitch Mahoney, woven by the Australian Tapestry Workshop.
Sustainability and future adaptability underpin the project’s long-term vision. The hospital targets a minimum 5 Star Green Star rating, incorporates an 840kW rooftop solar array and is pursuing WELL Gold certification — a national first for a public hospital. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic also informed the design, with adaptable clinical planning and flexible engineering systems allowing rapid response to future health crises.
As both healthcare infrastructure and civic investment, the new Footscray Hospital demonstrates how hospitals can support not only treatment and recovery, but also community connection, resilience and everyday urban life.
