The first 300 COVID-19 support beds are now available at The Dragon’s Heart hospital in Cardiff, UK. Working on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Mott MacDonald and Archus are leading a consortium of companies to deliver the design and build elements for the temporary hospital at the Principality Stadium.
Designed and made operational in under two weeks, The Dragon’s Heart hospital will help to fight the COVID-19 pandemic with space for up to 2,000 additional beds planned in total. The first 300 operational beds are located within the hospitality spaces and corporate boxes in the existing stadium and work is continuing at pace to complete the new ward infrastructure on and around the pitch. This includes building one of Europe’s largest tented structures under the stadium’s closed roof and constructing large raised platforms over the lower stands.
Mott MacDonald is project manager, lead designer, cost consultant and employer agent for the project as part of a programme of work delivering the Dragons Hearth Hospital for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The consultancy is leading the consortium of companies which includes Archus, responsible for healthcare planning support, ESG Global as construction coordinator and overlay design, architects BDP, and Hoare Lea as building services engineer.
Ciaran Willcocks, Mott MacDonald’s project director said: “This has been a tremendous effort by all involved. To make available 300 beds in just 10 days is quite amazing and we’re continuing to do our utmost to make the other beds available as soon as possible.”
The Dragon’s Heart hospital is the third emergency COVID-19 response hospital that Mott MacDonald and Archus are supporting. Both companies have worked closely together on NHS Nightingale in London and the NHS Nightingale north west hospital in Manchester. Mott MacDonald is also working with Health Facilities Scotland on the Louisa Jordan hospital in Glasgow.