By Josh Friesen
Photos by Sean Airhart
For Ignite Magazine
After over four years of construction, the Vista Pavilion opened its doors on April 7, 2026.
Designed with input from providers and patients, the Vista Pavilion is dedicated to patients receiving specialized cancer treatments like CAR-T cell therapy, stem cell transplants and other complex medical surgical procedures. With an initial 128 new beds, the Vista Pavilion will help alleviate hospital capacity constraints and free up space across OHSU to expand in other care areas. Once it is fully built out, it will expand OHSU Hospital’s capacity by about one-third. The historic $2 billion gift from Penny and Phil Knight to the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute will help support the Vista Pavilion’s future expansion to include spaces in areas such as diagnostic imaging, interventional radiology and brachytherapy.
Patient Rooms
The patient rooms inside the Vista Pavilion were designed with holistic, whole-person care in mind and boast the latest technologies and amenities in patient-centered medicine. Patients have access to their own large, private bathrooms, and floor-to-ceiling windows give way to panoramic views of the Willamette River. Some of the rooms are equipped with their own contained ventilation systems for patients who are immunocompromised.
Each patient room in the Vista Pavilion looks out over a rooftop garden nestled in a courtyard atop the sixth floor. The foliage isn’t just for looks. Research has shown that natural elements built into healing environments improve mental health, reduce stress and even contribute to shorter hospital stays.
Patient family rooms
A patient’s family is an extension of themselves, and OHSU is committed to caring for all. Patient family rooms in the Vista Pavilion are designed to be supportive, comfortable, community-focused areas where family members can relax and eat while remaining close with their loved one receiving treatment.
Local art
The hallway walls of each patient floor inside the Vista Pavilion are rich tapestries of color. Using a variety of mediums and styles, selected artists
from around the region created works influenced by Oregon landscapes and inspired by OHSU’s philosophies toward whole-person healing. The art bridges nature and healing — and are all uniquely Oregon.
Skybridges
The Vista Pavilion is linked to the existing OHSU Hospital and Kohler Pavilion via three distinct skybridges — each a feat of engineering in its own right — that tower across SW Campus Drive. The walkways enhance provider and patient flow to and from the building and exemplify OHSU’s commitment to connection and collaboration.
Staff respite rooms
One of the major priorities of the Vista Pavilion’s space is the health and well-being of staff. Provider burnout contributes to high rates of turnover and workplace dissatisfaction in hospitals across the country. The staff respite rooms are designed to give providers a dedicated space to take quiet moments to themselves, decompress and practice selfcare.
Front of building on Campus Drive
To accommodate construction, the Vista Pavilion’s project team cut into the steep hillside along SW Campus Drive just up the hill from the OHSU Casey Eye Institute. The carved-out space was converted into a multi-use area that houses generator fuel storage, bicycle parking and a bus stop — all across the street from the building’s main lobby.
Take a tour of the Vista Pavilion
Views of nature to aid healing and provide peace. Art murals that reflect the beauty of Oregon. Gathered community in celebration of the pavilion’s ribbon cutting event. View all this and more in our gallery.
