As a medical institution consistently on the leading edge of what’s possible, Houston Methodist was ready to renew its aging patient facilities in the Texas Medical Center. Its new patient tower is home to the nationally ranked Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and Houston Neurological Institute.

As the new crown jewel of Houston Methodist Hospital, the Paula and Joseph C. (Rusty) Walter III Tower stands tall in the Texas Medical Center skyline — carrying the hospital’s long history of leading medicine and excellent patient care into the next 50 years.

With the tower’s completion, Houston Methodist unites its multiple buildings in the Texas Medical Center into a cohesive, identifiable campus. The tower reinforces Houston Methodist’s architectural identity and connects outpatient, inpatient, and research — the cornerstones of the academic medical hospital.

The 22-story and nearly 1-million-square-foot tower features sophisticated neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgical suites specially designed for highly technical and minimally invasive image-guided heart and brain procedures. The tower also has two intensive care and six acute care floors, as well as a helipad, to increase the speed at which the staff can care for patients in need of life-saving treatments.

Responding to the dense, urban site, EYP designed a curvilinear form — or “boomerang.” The exterior glass curtainwall and metal paneling reflect the Texas horizon, and this theme carries through the interior spaces. Entries, waiting areas, and patient floors are open, airy, and light-filled with a palette of blue and green. The artwork features artists’ interpretations of Texas skies. And inside the atrium, visitors are treated to the “Extending Arms of Christ” mosaic mural designed by Bruce Hayes.

Loaded with high-tech highlights, Houston Methodist Hospital’s Walter Tower is on the cusp of medical science with innovative research and patient-centered care.