After the 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the existing UCLA medical center, the UCLA leadership embarked on a mission to bring the finest in hospital design and technology to Los Angeles. World-renowned architects I.M. Pei and C.C. Pei were brought in to design a beautiful, cutting-edge facility that incorporated the best ideas in medical science and patient care. Shortly afterward, an extraordinary alliance between UCLA, both the state and federal governments, private donors and an array of civic and cultural leaders was formed to bring the world-class facility to completion and to serve the evolving health care needs of the community for years to come.

“The new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center means much more to Los Angeles than just a new hospital," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "It represents a center for healing that defines the future of medicine. This vision, born of compassion and practicality, will benefit not only our children but those in future generations, not just in Los Angeles but all over the world. I am proud to be able to support UCLA as we dedicate this new treasure of Los Angeles.”

The new center is a technological and architectural masterpiece designed to meet the evolving needs of a 21st-century patient care and research center. It was built with more than 3 million pounds of travertine marble imported from Tivoli, Italy.

The center will feature the latest technology, including wireless access to reports, lab results, clinical imaging and patient vital signs; audiovisual communications; diagnostics; robotics; imaging systems; and advanced audio and high-resolution video conferencing capabilities.

The new building also features 520 large, private patient rooms, sun-filled views, daybeds to accommodate family members, wireless Internet access, room service with customized meals, outdoor play areas for pediatric patients, gardens and more. In addition, the entire facility is surrounded by natural light, green spaces, high-quality woods, carpeting, fountains and open terraces to inspire and welcome patients, guests and staff.

“Today marks the completion of the major construction of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center,” said Dr. Gerald S. Levey, vice chancellor of medical sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Together, we’ve constructed a new foundation to build upon UCLA’s traditions of medical education, groundbreaking research and unparalleled patient care. We now have one of the most advanced medical centers in the world.”

Highly advanced technology yet to be invented when planning first began is now woven seamlessly into the fabric of the medical center, helping to provide a more people-friendly environment and giving clinicians new ways to monitor patients, fight disease, track information and survey patient progress.

“I am delighted to be here today, and to know that this building will bring healing, new cures and hope to the people of the world for many years to come,” said Reagan. “My family is honored to be a part of this project.”

The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, along with Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA and the Stewart and Linda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, represents an entirely new level of hospital construction. Designed by the Peis, along with a team headed by Perkins & Will, Pei Partnership Architects and RBB Architects, the building is intended to foster a healing and supportive patient environment. Thousands of new state-of-the-art technologies were made to blend seamlessly with clinician expertise, structures were built to create the sense of several smaller hospitals rather than one large one and services were clustered to maximize efficiency.

“The new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center embraces the idea that good architecture is an integral part of the healing process,” said C.C. Pei. “ We worked hard to create a design that not only meets the project’s technical and scientific goals but also creates an environment that is cheerful, inspirational and intimate, despite its large size. We’ve aimed to design an environment for people, not just machines.”

While the celebration of the completion of major construction began today, the new building will not open until the entire staff has been fully trained and every piece of equipment is fully operational. Over the next nine to 12 months, UCLA’s expert transition team will fit up the internal systems, install and test clinical and Internet equipment, and train more than 10,000 UCLA employees to ensure the most seamless hospital move possible.