The Buildings of Wycombe: A sophisticated glass tower

Located on the steep slope of the Marlow Hill in Queen Alexandra Road close to the Abbey Way roundabout the central tower block stamps its dominance on the surrounding area.

It took five years to build the with construction taking place in various phases from 1961 to 1966.

Back then the Hospital was ground breaking in its design as it was the very first example of the American “race-track” plan with the wards opening off a continuous circuit of corridors.

Designed by the architects Powell & Moya with help from consultants Llewellyn-Davies & Weeks the building is one of Wycombe's best examples of 1960's brutalist architecture.

Just look at the accompanying picture to this blog and wonder in the marvellous way the glass windows are framed with the exposed concrete of the structure that supports the building. It's concrete and glass in perfect harmony.

Of course this wasn't the first hospital built on the site indeed prior to WGH was the “War Memorial Hospital” which was paid for by the people of Wycombe after the first World War and built in 1922 and before that was the Cottage Hospital in Priory Road.

At the time of construction there was outcry in the town because the money to construct the War Memorial Hospital was provided by the towns people yet it was simply handed over to the health authority without question.

Many people felt betrayed at the handing over of something they believed to hold collectively.

Sadly recent years have seen services move from Wycombe General to other facilities the most major loss being the transfer of full Accident & Emergency cover leaving Wycombe without the medial capability of dealing with any level of emergency within the boundaries of the town.

Whist some services have been scaled back there has been investment in the site in recent year the most notable of which being the construction of new buildings to the west of the original build on what was once land belonging to the Loakes Park football ground.

In recent years plans have been floated to alter the existing buildings on the site one of which included removing the top four storeys from the tower block. However these plans have come to nought.

Whatever your views on this building one fact remains we are lucky to have a hospital of this calibre in our town staffed with such caring doctors and nurses.

This building has saved so many lives over the years and Wycombe would be a poorer place without it.

What do you think?

Below are links from the marvellous SWOP site showing pictures of the hospital which you may find interesting:

SWOP - Construction of the main tower block

SWOP - Construction of the X-Ray and Outpatients Department

SWOP - Construction of Phase 3

SWOP - A view of part of a ward in 1966

SWOP - View of the entrance foyer in 1966

SWOP - Inside the Plaster Room in 1969

SWOP - View of the Hospital at night in 1966

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