The Camden Medical Center is placed on a busy intersection on the western edge of Singapore. Surrounded by tropical landscaping and views of the city’s Botanical Garden, the cylindrical building’s design was minimized to allow the greenery to extend through and below the building, creating an outdoor lobby. The 18-storey building was designed to facilitate medical suites and offices with retail space on the ground floor. The white-panelled structure presented in a systematic grid is one of Richard Meier’s signature design elements.

Because of the location on the equator, care had to be taken to provide solar protection to both the north and south sides of the building, and a layered facade, combined with integrated sunscreens and structural brise-soleil, was used. This facade also provides the development with an element at a more human scale while being sympathetic to the residential towers to the east and southeast of the site. The circular plan of Camden Medical Center is subdivided orthogonally, and the cylinder is serviced by a rectangular core.

The cut-away portion of the cylindrical escape stair pierced at intervals by slot windows. An access ramp, treated as a sculptural element, and tall, open spaces mark the main entrance. The passenger drop-off arena is slightly recessed from the street, creating privacy and screening. The lightweight, thin-wall construction of the building is counteracted by the natural stone cladding used at ground level, on the retaining walls and for the elevator core.

This finish creates a strong contrast to the lightweight metallic walls of the tower. Richard Meier designs pedestrian access along a covered walkway that weaves through the ground floor of the building. Its cylindrical profile reflects the urban value of Orchard Street, which connects the commercial center at the harbor to the residential district above. The Camden Medical Center provides an alternative model for architecture within the overbuilt urban core, where structures is often no more rise than 60-storey.

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