HOK is the hospital design architect for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s new 800-bed major trauma and general hospital in Paddington, now in its second phase of public consultation.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust recently revealed emerging designs for the redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, opening a second phase of public consultation that will run through 17 July 2026, ahead of the next phase of consultation later this autumn.
HOK is the hospital design architect, working alongside development manager Stanhope PLC and master plan architects Allies and Morrison. The proposals consolidate services now spread across multiple ageing buildings into a single, taller facility of about 30 storeys, with 800 beds and London’s busiest major trauma centre.
The design places the busiest and most urgent services on the lower floors for easier access, with wards positioned away from the busiest zones and prioritising daylight and privacy. Roof gardens and shared outdoor spaces are part of the plan, and the design includes a helipad to bring St Mary’s in line with other major trauma services across London. Flexibility is a guiding principle, with spaces designed to adapt over time.
“A hospital has to work for people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives,” said HOK Design Principal David Weatherhead. “We’ve focused on a building that’s easy to navigate, full of natural light and able to adapt as care evolves over the decades ahead. The consultation matters because the people who rely on St Mary’s know it better than anyone, and what they share with the Trust now and in the next phase will help shape a better hospital.”
St Mary’s has been a centre of healthcare and innovation for more than 175 years, including the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming. The new hospital would replace one of the NHS’s oldest estates with a flexible, future-ready facility, while opening up the wider site for new public spaces, greenery and a potential life sciences campus around the growing Paddington Life Sciences cluster already active in the Paddington basin.
The Trust has hosted a number of in-person exhibition events and an online webinar during the consultation, with community input feeding into the next phase of design ahead of a planning application targeted for spring 2027.
Learn more and take part in the consultation on the Trust’s website.