Located on Main Road in the leafy suburb of Walmer, Gqeberha, the Bay Eye Hospital comprises two complementary buildings that work in unison to deliver a world-class ophthalmological facility.
The architectural response carefully balances clinical precision with a deep sensitivity to the surrounding urban fabric. At the lower end of the site lies a purpose-built day hospital, dedicated exclusively to ophthalmological procedures.
Anchoring the eastern edge is a two-storey consulting building that houses four fully equipped ophthalmology consulting suites, supported by two levels of shared diagnostic and testing facilities. The two buildings are arranged on the site to frame a central, pedestrianized courtyard — a quiet, green respite that connects the medical functions while reinforcing the suburb’s residential character. The facility officially opened its doors in February 2024 and has since played a strategic role in elevating ophthalmological care for residents of Gqeberha and international visitors alike.
The Bay Eye Hospital stands not only as a medical centre of excellence but also as a considered piece of urban architecture — one that contributes to the evolving identity of Main Road, Walmer with purpose, care, and vision.
The project’s architectural ambition was to create a building that responds thoughtfully to its context. Main Road Walmer is undergoing a transformation from a spacious, tree-lined residential avenue into a vibrant, urbanised commercial corridor. The Bay Eye Hospital is designed to mediate this transition. It employs a palette of high, residentially scaled gables and cantilevered concrete eaves to soften its massing and invite human scale interaction along the pedestrian edges. These architectural gestures help dissolve the typical institutional feel of healthcare buildings, offering a sense of calm, accessibility, and dignity to both patients and practitioners.
