Safer, Clearer Movement Around a Major Hospital Campus
BMJ Architects designed a series of external canopies and associated campus improvements at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, helping protect patients, staff and visitors as they move around one of Scotland’s largest healthcare sites.
Protecting Patients, Staff and Visitors
Developed for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, the project focused on a practical but important challenge: making everyday journeys across the hospital campus safer, clearer and more comfortable.
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s 18-storey tower creates complex environmental conditions at ground level. Wind downdraughts and vortices can affect the main entrance area, while weather-related hazards and the risk of sporadic high-level glazing failures created additional concerns for people arriving at, leaving and moving around the hospital.
BMJ undertook an extensive risk assessment of the existing entrance and surrounding vulnerable locations before developing and appraising a series of design options with the client. The preferred response was a single, level-deck, horseshoe-shaped canopy wrapping around the main entrance, supported by two smaller canopies at other exposed areas of the campus.
Concept and Strategy
The design had to feel like part of the hospital, not an afterthought. The canopies were therefore developed to complement the existing architectural language while maintaining natural pedestrian movement and clear routes to key entrances. The main canopy uses a built-up aluminium standing seam roof, aluminium panel soffits and integrated low-energy LED spotlights, creating a robust and legible shelter that improves the arrival experience without obstructing the busy hospital frontage.
The project also addressed wider movement and safety around the campus. Associated external works included fencing, soft landscaping, realigned ambulance parking, a new pedestrian crossing and bollards to prevent pavement parking near the discharge lounge. Together, these interventions improve the relationship between vehicles, pedestrians and clinical access points, supporting a safer and more coherent public realm.
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Sustainable Design with Lasting Impact
Sustainability was considered through material selection and operational performance. The canopy structures are substantially steel framed and aluminium clad, using durable materials with strong recycling potential, while integrated LED lighting helps reduce energy demand. The result is a focused piece of healthcare infrastructure that solves a real operational problem with clarity, durability and care. It demonstrates how targeted architectural intervention can improve safety, comfort and daily experience across a large hospital campus.
