Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU’s Children’s Tower

Project highlights: Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU's Children's Tower

• Architecture firm:  HKS
• Owner: VCU Health System
• Location: Richmond, Va.
• Category: A
• Project Site:  Brownfield
• Building program type(s):  Healthcare - hospital inpatient

• Over the past few decades, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond has emerged as a premier pediatric care provider that caters to a broad range of childhood health needs. However, its services were scattered across the VCU Medical Center campus, leading to fragmented care and inequalities. This new 16-story, 565,000-square-foot building nestled at the campus gateway stands as a testament to the hospital’s reputation for pediatric healthcare excellence and innovation.

  The $420 million, LEED Silver-certified tower expands the existing Children’s Pavilion and serves as a dedicated hub for those seeking pediatric care across Richmond and the wider region. Reflecting the hospital’s mission to be a premier academic medical institution, the tower boasts a bold, signature identity. Running through the facade is a striking gold ribbon motif that symbolically ties the new tower and the existing pavilion together. A series of colorful fins adorn the exterior, affirming the tower’s role as a beacon of care. For the tower’s interior architecture, the team drew inspiration from nature, particularly the James River that flows through the city, to create a calming atmosphere. 

The new tower extends the existing pavilion’s architectural language to create a unified building. Its mass is divided into three zones: inpatient, diagnostic and treatment, and support services. Its lowest zone respects the context of the neighborhood, which is filled with significant historic structures, and engages passersby at the street level through a playful screen that hides the above-grade parking structure.  

Extensive engagement with the hospital’s Family Advisory Network and numerous community design fairs ensured that the project was shaped by those it’s meant to serve. Animal mascots, selected by children, lend thematic inspiration to each floor, while interactive zones and sculptural elements enrich the hospital journey. Beyond its architectural stature, the tower’s meticulous design supports holistic well-being and the developmental needs of young patients. Private rooms offer personalization, while teen lounges and playrooms welcome diverse age groups. In addition, a series of indoor gardens, performance spaces, and therapeutic areas provide moments of relaxation and enrichment.

The design prioritizes collaboration and flexibility, and open workstations, team lounges, and standardized clinical support cores ensure seamless workflows and connectivity among hospital staff. The tower was also built to support future growth and incorporates vertical and horizontal expansion. Shell spaces within allow for additional inpatient beds, diagnostic features, and research spaces. Its capacity for vertical expansion will allow the hospital to grow and meet the demands of tomorrow’s pediatric healthcare landscape.