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Cleveland Clinic has appointed Christopher Connell – a partner at the London architectural firm Foster + Partners – as its Chief Design Officer, beginning June 12.
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Christopher Connell, Cleveland Clinic Chief Design Officer
In this newly created role, Connell will be responsible for the creation, strategic alignment and execution of architecture and other design initiatives to create serene, restorative environments consistent with Cleveland Clinic.
“Architecture and design can truly help comfort patients and their families during a difficult time at the hospital. Natural light, noise-dampening features, green spaces, accommodations and other environmental features go a long way toward enhancing the patient experience,” said Toby Cosgrove, M.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic. “Chris brings a wealth of experience and insight to this new role that will leave a lasting impression on all who come to Cleveland Clinic.”
As a partner at Foster + Partners, Connell was involved in the creation of the Cleveland Clinic Master Plan, which was designed to provide a welcoming campus-like environment for patients and serve as a road map for future campus development. Connell has also been involved in the design of Cleveland Clinic’s Health Education Campus, which will include a 27,000-square-foot atrium and four stories of state-of-the-art learning spaces that encourage interaction among the medical, dental, nursing and allied health students enrolled there.
Prior to beginning his career at Fosters + Partners in 1988, Connell graduated from Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow in Scotland, United Kingdom. In his time at Foster + Partners, Connell has worked on more than 100 projects around the world, with his completed buildings receiving more than 40 awards. His involvement has ranged from architecture, industrial and interior design to infrastructure and master-planning.
“Cleveland Clinic’s consideration of every aspect of wellbeing makes it a very special environment, and its thoughtful integration of architecture and design is a key aspect of that,” said Connell. “I look forward to supporting the organization in evolving its culture, to utilize design thinking as a means to develop solutions that create unique patient experiences that reflect the needs of patients and the future of healthcare.”
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Cleveland Clinic Master Plan (artist rendering)
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Cleveland Clinic Main Campus Miller Lobby
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Cleveland Clinic
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Health Education Campus (artist rendering)
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation, Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 83,000 employees worldwide are more than 6,600 salaried physicians and researchers, and 21,900 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,725-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 300 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2025, there were 15.9 million outpatient encounters, 343,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 336,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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