The University of Chicago Medicine (UChicago Medicine) is building Chicago’s first freestanding cancer center with inpatient and outpatient services. Aiming to bridge longstanding health disparities on Chicago’s South Side, the $815 million project will consolidate care and about 200 team members currently spread across at least five buildings.
The new facility, which broke ground in September, is expected to open to patients in spring 2027.
Designed by CannonDesign in collaboration with Blue Cottage of CannonDesign and Yazdani Studio, the center will serve both patient and academic needs by supporting the research, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer. It will have a capacity for up to 200,000 outpatient visits and 5,000 inpatient admissions per year.
The 575,000-sf, seven-story building, with room for expansion, will offer 80 inpatient beds (64 medical-surgical beds and a 16-bed ICU), 90 consultation and outpatient exam rooms, and an urgent care clinic that protects immunocompromised cancer patients from extended emergency room visits. To promote patient comfort and privacy, private infusion bays will be grouped by cancer type.
To improve the patient experience, the new facility will provide support services for patients and their families—including lifestyle classes, nutrition education, survivor support, music therapy, fitness classes, and a retail store selling cancer-specific products such as wigs or clothing with openings for ports. Family-friendly features also will include showers and on-site laundry machines, inpatient family dining areas, and larger consultation rooms for patients who attend appointments with loved ones.
In addition to a ground floor that serves both the University of Chicago campus and the surrounding neighborhood, amenities include a café, wellness and meeting spaces, public art, educational opportunities, and a publicly accessible garden.
The project will create more than 500 construction jobs and will give at least 41% of $435 million in construction contracts to minority- and women-owned firms.
On the Building Team:
Owner: University of Chicago Medicine (UChicago Medicine)
Design architect and architect of record: CannonDesign
MEP engineer: Affiliated Engineers with RTM Engineers
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Contractor: Turner Construction
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%2001-ATRIUM1.png)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%2001-ATRIUM2.png)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%20230512_DUSK%20VIEW%20FINAL_LEADERSHIP%20PRESENTATION.jpg)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%20NE_FINAL.jpg)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%20NW_FINAL.jpg)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%20SE_FINAL.jpg)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%20SITE%20PLAN.png)
![UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center Rendering courtesy CannonDesign](/sites/default/files/inline-images/UChicago%20Medicine%20first%20freestanding%20cancer%20center%20SW_FINAL.jpg)
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 15, 2019
Can a kids’ healthcare space teach, entertain, and heal?
Standard building requirements don’t have to be boring. Here’s how you can inject whimsical touches into everyday design features.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 15, 2019
Hospitals are moving into their communities
Below are five strategies to improve access and patient experience.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 9, 2019
Tampere psychiatric clinic features a modern, locally rooted ambiance for patients and staff
C.F. Møller Architects is designing the project.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 2, 2019
Veterans' mental health needs are central to Seattle VA's design
Called the Seattle Veterans Affairs Mental Health and Research Building, the structure is meant to enhance patient care.
Healthcare Facilities | May 24, 2019
Beyond the corner store: Where retail health is headed
New players are redefining what retail health might look like by embracing technologies including mobile apps, telehealth, and artificial intelligence.
Healthcare Facilities | May 16, 2019
ASU Health Futures Center combines a novel design and approach to learning
The trapezoidal shape of the building is an eco-friendly feature.
Healthcare Facilities | May 9, 2019
Construction of new children’s hospital addition in NW Florida had to weather several storms
Patient and staff care were primary concerns during this 25-month project, says its GC.
Healthcare Facilities | May 3, 2019
The healthcare sector is turning to drones to supplement medical services
Leo A Daly’s Miami studio envisions a drone-powered hospital that enhances resilience to natural disasters.
| Apr 26, 2019
Greenwich Hospital upgrades boilers to improve operational efficiency
Greenwich Hospital, in Greenwich, Conn., chooses new Miura boilers.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 15, 2019
It’s official: China opens first green hospital, designed by HMC Architects
Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University is the official pilot green hospital for development of China’s green guide for hospital design.