-By Stacy Straczynski

RTKL is prepping to break a design record. The Dallas-based international architecture, planning, and design firm announced yesterday (March 9) that it has been chosen via an international design competition to design Shanghai’s Changzheng New Pudong Hospital.

The 3.9-million-sq.-ft. project, which is estimated at $413 million, will be the largest medical facility in China built in one phase. Shanghai Municipal Architecture Design Institute, a local company, will work with RTKL to manage the construction documentation.

The 2,200-bed complex will encompass four towers—a VIP tower, and outpatient center, an emergency center, and an infectious disease building. Additionally, a staff administration building, student dorms, and a conference and reception hall will be built, as well as facilities for research and teaching.

"This is a significant win for us," says Harrie Noy, CEO of ARCADIS, RTKL’s parent company. "It not only strengthens our presence in China but confirms the trend toward the globalization of healthcare, which offers broader opportunities for ARCADIS. There is a premium on knowledgeable healthcare design in countries that have a growing consumer demand for quality service and sustainable environments. ARCADIS is responding to that demand."