As part of the centennial commemorative projects celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Keio University School of Medicine, Keio University Hospital Building 1 opened in 2018. The hospital subsequently underwent a rolling renovation program, with all construction completed this spring, marking the grand reopening of the entire hospital.
Consistently guided by the concept of “KEIO Forest — Hospital in the Woods,” the renewal project sought to bring the hospital’s surrounding natural environment into its interior spaces. The rich vegetation of nearby Shinjuku Gyoen and Jingu Gaien was abstracted into graphic patterns and colors, creating a spatial system that helps users recognize and navigate different areas throughout the hospital. This approach was established with the completion of Building 1 in 2018.
As the final chapter of this decade-long project, a new facility identification sign was installed at the main approach. Named the “Forest Gate Sign,” the installation expresses the layered composition of a woodland—the symbolic image of “KEIO Forest”—through the combination of laminated glass and architectural concrete. Designed as the new face of the hospital, the sign embodies the hospital’s renewed identity while welcoming visitors into the campus.
At the newly renovated entrance, the “Green Wall” was also developed not merely as an information facility, but as a welcoming gateway that embodies the spirit of the “Hospital in the Woods.”