The South Australian government has revealed the three consortia interested in building Adelaide's new $1.7 billion hospital, due to begin construction next year.

Opening in 2016, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) will be the largest hospital in South Australia, incorporating 800 beds, an ambulatory care centre, operating theatre suite, all clinical and non-clinical support services necessary for the provision of high quality and safe patient care, and an excellent facility for teaching and research.

Three consortia have put forward expressions of interest for the construction of the new RAH, including Torrens Health Partnership comprising Bilfinger Berger, Baulderstone and Lend Lease; SA Health Partners incorporating Leighton, Hansen Yuncken and Macquarie; and Plenary formed by Plenary Group and Grocon.

The expressions of interest will be evaluated and a shortlist will be unveiled mid-September.

“Some of the most experienced finance, design and construction firms have come together to bid to be part of the construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital,” health minister John Hill told journalists in Adelaide.

Aurora is providing architecture for the public private partnership project, with landscape architecture by Swanbury Penglase and urban planning by Urban Regional Planning Solutions.

The new hospital has long been a political hot potato, as previously reported by Architecture & Design, with the Opposition leader unveiling three alternative redevelopment options back in March, arguing that redeveloping was a better investment than starting from scratch.