Abbott Northwestern Hospital Surgical and Critical Care Facility, Minneapolis
Part of a 10-year campus improvement plan, Abbott Northwestern Hospital’s new surgical and critical care facility in Minneapolis will house 192 new beds, 30 new operating rooms, 22 new interventional suites, and more than 500,000 square feet of new construction in the center of an operating campus.
To meet the growing demand for private beds and complex interventional procedures, the project, designed by HGA (Minneapolis) and constructed by Mortenson (Minneapolis), will enhance essential services, re-envision the hospital’s campus, and regenerate infrastructure.
HGA is leading the master planning, architecture, Lean programming/operations, evidence-based design, and engineering efforts for the project.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026.
Site planning on a hospital campus
As part of the design of the 500,000-square-foot surgical and critical care project, Abbot’s Founder’s Mall—an outdoor central courtyard for gathering and relaxing—will be rebuilt into a welcoming arrival garden, opening a hidden and self-contained complex to the surrounding community.
Currently most of the buildings face inward with only one access from the street (into and around the Founders Mall). New entrances into the campus will be designed to break down the barrier caused by the current buildings.
To tie in with the campus’ existing red-brick buildings, the new facility will utilize a red, unglazed terracotta rainscreen façade. This design feature will continue Abbott Northwestern’s history of using red clay, while bringing a contemporary, aesthetic to the new façade.
Additional building features will include a rooftop healing garden with views of the Minneapolis skyline that will serve as a respite space for patient families, caregivers, and staff.
A glass-enclosed skyway along the second level will connect patient and family travel from all of the buildings on campus.
Because the new facility is taking the spot of an existing parking garage, additional parking for staff and patients is also planned.
Focus on healthy materials, calming interior design
Hospital leadership requested that the patient room and unit plan use a prefabricated construction system to allow the space to flex to future needs or reconfigurations.
With a priority of implementing healthy materials, the interior finishes will include PVC-free finishes and naturally sustainable flooring.
A warm and timeless palette will feature light wood tones, off-white paints and wall finishes, and lighter floor finishes. Pattern, texture, and pops of color will be strategically articulated into the design solution to enhance wayfinding and support the organization’s branding.
Also planned are new access roads to improve emergency department access; an underground network of loading docks, tunnels, and corridors; and a public art installation in the emergency department parking area to welcome patients and their families.
The surgical and critical care facility is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital Surgical and Critical Care Facility, Minneapolis, project details
Location: Minneapolis
Expected completion date: 2026
Owner: Allina Health
Total building area: 500,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: Not disclosed
Cost/sq. ft.: Not disclosed
Architect: HGA
Interior designer: HGA
General contractor: Mortenson
Engineer: HGA
Builder: Mortenson
Medical equipment planner: Korbel Associates