Peninsula University Hospital
Frankston Hospital has entered a transformative new chapter. Reimagined as Peninsula University Hospital, the $1.1 billion redevelopment delivers a larger, more advanced and better-connected health precinct designed to meet the needs of one of Victoria’s fastest-growing regions.
Delivered by Architectus and Bates Smart for the Victorian Health Building Authority, the project replaces the former low-rise campus with an innovative vertical hospital model. At its centre stands a 12-storey clinical services tower and podium, forming a new landmark on the Frankston skyline and a hub for integrated care.
The expansion significantly increases capacity and capability. The hospital now includes 130 additional beds, 15 new operating theatres, expanded inpatient units, enhanced women’s and children’s services, dedicated mental health and oncology facilities, and a state-of-the-art medical imaging department. Yet the redevelopment is about more than scale. It has been carefully designed to support dignified care, offering a calmer, more intuitive and easier-to-navigate experience for patients, visitors and staff.
A strong biophilic ethos underpins the design. Peninsula University Hospital maximises green space and strengthens its visual connection to the surrounding coastal landscape. Overnight patient rooms are positioned high within the tower to capture open bay views and natural light — environments designed to promote rest and recovery. On each clinical floor, landscaped courtyards and wintergardens provide restorative spaces away from the clinical setting, offering moments of respite for staff, patients and visitors alike.
For many patients who return regularly for treatment, and for the healthcare professionals who care for them, this ongoing connection to the coast becomes part of the hospital’s therapeutic offering.
The guiding principle of “healing Country, healing people,” co-created with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, is embedded throughout the design. It reflects a deep understanding that care and place are closely intertwined, and that meaningful healthcare environments acknowledge and respect the land on which they stand.
This philosophy is particularly evident in the main foyer, where striking tree-like pillars form both a structural feature and a cultural statement. Integrated into these acoustic panels is Contours of Country, Bark, By Jenna Lee, an artwork that transforms functional elements into storytelling devices.
Jenna Lee’s practice explores and interrogates the collecting of Aboriginal resources, particularly language and objects. In this work, she reflects on the collection and commodification of Eucalyptus, one of Australia’s most widespread and traditionally significant plants. Drawing inspiration from the materiality of the panels, textures and imagery of Eucalyptus bark and seeds are etched into the timber surface, re-embedding First Nations perspectives and cultural knowledge into the built environment.
Finished in Smartlook Blackwood, the acoustic panels deliver both performance and presence. Achieving a Group 1 fire rating and an NRC of 0.80, they combine safety, acoustic comfort and narrative depth, demonstrating how technical excellence and cultural storytelling can coexist within contemporary healthcare architecture.
Peninsula University Hospital stands not only as a major infrastructure investment, but as a considered, future-focused health precinct, one that connects community, Country and care in a setting designed to heal.
Similar Projects
The Canberra Hospital Expansion represents the largest healthcare infrastructure initiative undertaken by the ACT Government to date. It is designed to address both current and future health needs in the Territory. This landmark project, designed by BVN Architecture and built by Multiplex, features Australia’s first fully electric hospital building powered entirely by renewable energy. This innovative approach reduces approximately 1,886 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to removing 780 cars from Canberra’s roads each year. The new facility, which spans eight levels and covers 45,000 metres, includes a state-of-the-art Emergency Department, an expanded Intensive Care Unit, and enhanced Perioperative Services. Sustainability was a central theme throughout the project, with the Multiplex team utilising electrified cranes, sourcing a locally made low-carbon concrete mix, and repurposing or salvaging 96% of materials from the previous building's demolition. BVN principal Julian Ashton said the major expansion of Canberra Hospital will “unite healthcare and community in an environmentally-friendly wellbeing-oriented campus. Social Procurement also played a pivotal role in this project, with Decor Systems’ Supply Nation Certification significantly contributing to Multiplex's Indigenous Inclusion targets. Maintaining a serene and peaceful environment is crucial for the well-being of patients and staff in healthcare settings. Decor Systems was integral to the project, supplying a range of aesthetic, highly absorbent, and eco-friendly acoustic panels tailored to various acoustic needs. Waiting areas required acoustics that reduce stress, while reception areas required enhanced sound privacy. The selected combination of Arktura, Zen, Zen Micro, and Vogl panels effectively addressed these diverse acoustic and design needs.
Sunshine Hospital was one of three hospitals in Victoria that underwent a $492 million mental health beds expansion to deliver new mental health beds.
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