Crystal Spring Tower opens at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
Designed by ESa, new cardiovascular institute improves access and care across the region
ESa is proud to announce the opening of Carilion Clinic’s new Crystal Spring Tower at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, expanding access to efficient, high-quality cardiovascular care to patients across Southwest Virginia and beyond.
The 500,000-square-foot expansion consolidates once-fragmented cardiology services – including catheterization laboratories (cath labs) and electrophysiology (EP) labs – into a single, connected facility. By uniting surgery, imaging, intensive care and recovery, the new tower enhances patient outcomes, improves provider communication and simplifies the care journey for families.
“Good design centers on people – their safety, well-being and experience in the space,” said ESa Principal Sam W. Burnette, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, NCARB. “This tower was built to support healing at every level, including patient comfort, clinical flow and the long-term health of the community.”
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital is the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and a tertiary and quaternary facility. It typically receives referrals from more than 60 hospitals across Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina each year. The Crystal Spring Tower is a major investment in the region’s ability to deliver timely, coordinated cardiovascular care close to home.
One of the tower’s key features is its clinical stacking strategy, with the cardiovascular institute located directly above the hospital’s newly expanded emergency department. This integration enables faster transitions for urgent cardiac cases and supports rapid, uninterrupted care when every second matters.
Designed in collaboration with Carilion Clinic and constructed by Robins & Morton in partnership with local construction manager Branch Builds, the tower also includes educational spaces that support the development of future medical professionals, part of a long-term vision to address healthcare needs identified through Carilion’s community assessments and research.
“This facility represents a new chapter for our cardiovascular program,” said Steve Arner, President and CEO of Carilion. “We’ve created a place where care teams can collaborate more seamlessly and where patients and their families can move through their care with greater clarity. It’s a step forward in both experience and outcomes.”
The tower supports today’s advanced cardiac procedures and is flexible to accommodate future innovations. To further support long-term community health needs, the project also includes three shelled floors to accommodate up to 96 additional inpatient beds. This future-ready approach allows Carilion to expand services with minimal disruption to patients.
“With more than 500,000 square feet of highly specialized space, this was one of the largest and most complex healthcare projects in the region,” said Mark Mattox, Robins & Morton Vice President. “We’re proud to have partnered with Carilion and ESa to bring it to life and even more humbled to know that this facility will serve patients and families at their most pivotal moments.”
Additional partners on the project included Enfinity Engineering, Structural Design Group and Balzer and Associates, a Westwood company.
About ESa
ESa is a nationally recognized architecture and design firm based in Nashville, Tenn., specializing in architecture, interior design, master planning and space planning. Since 1961, the firm has brought visionary thinking and human-centered design to more than 13,500 projects across healthcare, hospitality, education, residential, community + arts and commercial sectors. Guided by legacy and driven by collaboration, ESa is committed to shaping meaningful spaces and sustainable communities today and for the future. Learn more at esarch.com.