The Center for Infection Control (CIC) at Asan Medical Center in Seoul is South Korea’s first hospital specializing in infectious diseases. During the two-year period from the start of design in 2018 to its completion in 2022, the hospital navigated the national crisis of COVID-19, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of its systems—including triage and the operation of isolation beds—under a round-the-clock infectious disease response framework. As the pandemic highlighted the necessity of a dedicated, standalone infectious disease facility, the center has garnered significant attention from infectious disease experts and hospitals alike.

The center was designed to manage, treat, and research high-risk pathogens in accordance with Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the infectious disease crisis response system, enabling flexible bed management. It was planned to maintain infectious disease response capabilities through the constant presence of specialized personnel, and it continues to fulfill this function on the front lines of treating high-risk patients.

The Center and the parking building were reconstructed as a four-story structure by reinforcing the foundations and columns of the existing annex and the underground parking garage of the West Wing—both built in the 1980s—and demolishing the top slab of the parking garage, which had previously served as a rest area for patients. Compared to the existing West Wing, the layout exhibits a clear horizontal order, respecting the east-west visual axis, and is integrated through a vertical connection with the West Wing’s underground parking garage. It also harmonizes with the central park and reflects the natural landscape.