Voice

February 27, 2023

New Vanderbilt University Hospital lobby: a first look

More than four decades after the opening of the “new” Vanderbilt University Hospital, the lobby gets a complete makeover

VUMC new lobby on February 26, 2023 .Photos by Donn Jones/Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The view from the new front entrance to Vanderbilt University Hospital.

All photos by Donn Jones

After a multiyear effort, renovation is complete for the lobby, one of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s most heavily trafficked destinations serving hundreds of patients and families each day. The new space opened Feb. 26.

The “new” Vanderbilt University Hospital opened in 1980, and this is the first real makeover the space has gotten in the more than four decades since.

VUMC photographer Donn Jones was among the first to get access to the new space and took these shots just as workers were putting on the finishing touches and members of the public were getting a first look.

From base of the new grand staircase, patients can easily get to the Admitting office.
The new, welcoming Guest Services desk is to the right of the entrance as patients, families and visitors come in the main door from Medical Center Drive.
Looking toward the front of the building from the second floor mezzanine.
In addition to plenty of waiting area, there are outlets and charging ports.
Some areas of the lobby now have smaller alcoves for families to gather.
The “Standing Ovation” mural on the mezzanine level, which honors the work and contributions of nurses, has a new, bright context.
Looking to the ceiling, the new light fixtures provide a warm glow to the room.
A reminder from the 1980s of the lobby’s previous appearance.

 

Read more about the new lobby in this VUMC Reporter article.

Read more about the removal of the two-ton sculpture at the center of the lobby in this VUMC Voice article.