The transformation of a trade fair and exhibition centre into a field hospital for COVID-19 patients via multi-utility tunnels

This article exposes, through the case study of the IFEMA Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre in Madrid (Spain), the benefits of using a multi-utility tunnels (MUTs) system as a smart and sustainable solution for the distribution of utility networks in buildings, or in complexes made up of several buildings, to enable their quick and continuous adaptation. The saturation of the health system in the capital of Spain, motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic, forced the authorities in Madrid to improvise an emergency centre in this building. The multi-utility tunnels system was the key enabling element to deploy the necessary networks, including those for medical gases, to convert several exhibition halls into a field hospital with a maximum capacity of 5000 conventional beds and another 500 Intensive Care Unit beds, in just 100 h.

Automated summary

This article highlights the benefits of using a multi-utility tunnels system as a smart and sustainable solution for distributing utility networks in buildings, especially in emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. The case study of IFEMA Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre in Madrid demonstrates the system's ability to quickly adapt buildings to new requirements, such as turning exhibition halls into a field hospital within a short timeframe.