<span><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="662" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr style="height:24.95pt;"><td style="width:495.8pt;padding:0.75pt 0.75pt 0pt 0.75pt;border-top:none;border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none" valign="top" width="662"><span><span>As life expectancy is extended, medical procedures continually advance and competition between health care providers intensifies, hospital design becomes increasingly important. The idea that patients benefit from their surroundings has been acknowledged for some time, but it is only recently that this concept has become the key to architectural solutions when building or redesigning hospitals and health care facilities. Drawing on over 60 examples from across the world, this volume illustrates the contemporary approach to hospital architecture. Today, architects and interior designers are striving to combat the typical sterile hospital atmosphere with innovative and exciting concepts, whilst still, of course, maintaining a high level of hygiene and functionality. The projects chosen range from new private clinics to extensions and conversions of large inner-city clinical centers and specialized hospitals. <br></span></span><br /></td></tr></table><span><span> </span></span><br /></span>