Universidad de Antioquia Complejo de Salud

The new Health Complex at the University of Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia, serves as a vital urban connector, bridging the historic university campus with the surrounding innovation district. Spanning 50,000 square meters, the complex consolidates dispersed health sciences facilities, including laboratories, classrooms, and offices, into a unified, state-of-the-art education center. It also stands as a new architectural landmark within Medellín’s ongoing urban revitalization.

As the first major structure built outside the university's historic boundaries, the design responds to two intersecting grids: the orderly campus layout and the dynamic urban grid of Medellín. These axes shape the building’s form, guiding pedestrian flow through the site—from the campus to the adjacent clinic. This pathway rises through the building in a series of vertical movements, creating a "vertical campus" where circulation routes, labs, and classrooms are visually expressed on the façade, revealing the life and activity within.

To enrich the vertical experience, green terraces are strategically carved into the structure, offering outdoor spaces and unique views of the campus and city. The design reimagines the traditional academic environment through a contemporary lens; merging movement, connection, and interaction to create a new model for educational space.