The location is 5 mi south of the hospital’s main campus in Winfield, where CDH is building a 276,000-sq-ft bed pavilion, also designed by RTKL.

“Our goal with this project is to showcase CDH and its cancer program by creating a facility with a contemporary, streamlined appearance, simple way finding and an environment that is comforting to patients and their families,” said Alexander “Sandy” Faurot, vice president of RTKL and senior project manager.

The 48,000-sq-ft center’s prominent site next to Interstate 88 also influenced the architecture; the elevation was designed for large signage panels visible from the road. The height reflects the scale of the Interstate, but sunshades and columns will bring it down to a more pedestrian scale.

The two-story facility will be divided into two components—a cancer center with research, medical and radiation oncology and an imaging center with MRI, CT scan and mammography. Each center will have its own entrance, but the two will be connected by a gracious two-story lobby.

The cancer center is just one of several RTKL has worked on with CDH. The firm designed a recently completed medical office building in Glen Ellyn, while the main campus bed pavilion and emergency department renovation are currently under construction.

Completion of the cancer center is anticipated in summer 2010.