AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Work
GOALS
Good Health & Well-being, Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
KEYWORDS
coronavirus, covid19, hospitals, pandemics
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Weston Williamson + Partners
WEBSITE
https://www.westonwilliamson.com/
Floating coronavirus hospitals
Turning container ships into floating coronavirus hospitals
Container ships could be converted into giant hospitals that could sail to cities most impacted by coronavirus, under a proposal by UK architecture studio Weston Williamson + Partners.
The studio came up with the proposal as it believes that coronavirus Covid-19 will have a serious impact on countries that lack access to healthcare.
The studio believes that container ships could be a solution as they can sail directly to areas worst hit by the pandemic. Many large container ships are currently out of service due to the slowdown in global trade.
The hospital ships envisioned by the studio would each contain around 2,000 beds, with each shipping container holding one intensive care unit.
The hospital ships would serve as an alternative to the field hospitals currently being built in conference centres, including the Excel in London, and parks in North American and European cities.