FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS HIGHLIGHT:
This section of ArchIdea features a selected project in which the floor is the hero of the issue. It demonstrates how Forbo Flooring Systems can complement the design of a building.
Human-centered hospital design
THE THOUGHTFUL DESIGN OF THE NEW KINDERSPITAL (CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL) IN ZÜRICH BALANCES FUNCTIONALITY WITH WARMTH, CREATING A SPACE THAT FEELS MORE LIKE A COMMUNITY CENTRE THAN A TRADITIONAL HOSPITAL. WITH ITS UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE BY HERZOG & DE MEURON AND AN EMPHASIS ON HUMAN-CENTERED CARE, THE BUILDING OFFERS A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND STAFF.
Photos: Maris Mezulis
At the foot of a hill known as Burghölzli, two new buildings by the same architecture firm have been built in 2024. One of them is a research and teaching facility. Its exterior blends sweeping white spirals with an entryway, that – intentionally or not – recalls the front door of an igloo. Further down the road, a new children’s hospital, or Kinderspital, affectionately nicknamed Kispi, announces itself in less quirky but equally striking fashion. Its long, low façade curves about two hundred meters along the road. Though both buildings are part of the same project, it’s Kispi that draws you in – designed with warmth and care to serve not just as a hospital but as a place where children and their families feel safe and supported.
Human-centered hospital architecture
The size and complexity of the hospital program presented a unique challenge to the designers of Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. Following an international competition, the Pritzker Prize winning architects were selected to take on the challenge of designing both the research facility and the hospital itself. Although the office is known worldwide for their larger-than-life stadiums, concert halls and museums, they also have a few hospital projects under their belt. These lesser-known experiences served to help the designers confidently navigate this project. The new children’s hospital on the hillside proves that a complex brief can be translated into friendly, human-centered architecture when entrusted to the hands of a skilful designer.
Accommodating a need for space The hospital is a project of the Eleonoren Foundation, an organisation that has played a leading role in private medical care and research related to the health of children and adolescents for over a century. The new building accommodates the institution’s pressing need for space. Kispi offers that in abundance; it accommodates nearly 2,600 staff members, offers around 230 beds, and treats approximately 8,500 inpatients and 90,000 outpatients annually. Its medical services include paediatric cardiology, oncology, neurology and it has specialised centres for rare diseases and genetic disorders.
A hospital brought to human proportions The building’s massive exterior could be easily overwhelming but the architects have brought it back to manageable human proportions; the lengthy stretch of façade is broken up by the cadence of vertical wooden slats. While an underlying concrete structure unifies the first and second floors. The building’s top floor, which houses the inpatient rooms speaks a different architectural language; the staggered roofs of each room jut out at various angles, resembling the mountain ranges in the distance. To enter the the building, you step through an angular, barn-like portal into a circular courtyard, softened by wooden hues. The centre of the courtyard is filled with plants, and children play on and around a few artworks – smooth, marble sculptures by artist Claudia Comte that pop up out of the ground, mimicking pairs of rabbit ears. Upon entering the hospital, the sense of welcome continues, and a realisation hits you: this place doesn’t look, feel or smell like a hospital at all.
A holistically conceived, functional design
This achievement is the result of a thorough collaboration between the architects and hospital staff, aided by consultations with patients’ families who advised the team on their practical needs. Christine Binswanger, Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron, explains how deep the collaboration between architect and hospital staff went. “In collaboration with many other specialists, we were able to stand by and advise the Eleonoren Foundation throughout all levels of the project, from city planning to architecture, vegetation, materials and even medical fittings and furnishings. The result is a holistically conceived, functional building that is calm and quiet despite its diversity.”
Architecture and art to distract and uplift patients
The joint vision of the architects and their client was to create a building that avoids impersonal, imposing architecture and instead benefits the wellbeing of its patients, visiting families and staff. "I’m 150% convinced that architecture and art are just as vital to patients as medical machines”, explains Dr. Michael Grotzer, Medical Director of the hospital. “The World Health Organization conducted many studies that prove the immense value of art – music, dance and visual arts – for health and well-being. When hospitals constantly remind you that you’re in a hospital, it’s probably not the best place to heal. Through art and design, we can distract, uplift, and help patients and staff find new ways of handling their destiny.”
A network of neighborhoods, streets and squares This ambition primarily translates into the building’s internal organisation. The rooms, departments and labs are organised like a town. Medical specialties are neighbourhoods with squares and streets connecting them, and the entrance hall and cafeteria function as a town square. On each of the three floors, a central main street runs past various green courtyards that help in orientation. But more importantly, the courtyards let natural light enter all of the 230 patient rooms as well as the operating theatres, making it a comfortable and attractive workplace for medical staff too. Bringing the Swiss countryside into the building In its materialisation, the attention to wellbeing becomes especially apparent in the generous application of wood. Wooden ceilings, window sills, wall edges and furniture evoke memories of Switzerland’s chalet-style architecture. Despite the walls and spiral staircases being made of cast concrete, the texture of wooden casing is still clearly visible. Floors are made out of textured concrete and glossy wood, and marmoleum in the medical rooms. Local characteristics are also included in the design: the trees in the courtyards are complemented by boulders that were found on site. A commitment to art The hospital’s appreciation for art as a source of wonder and inspiration is evident in the selected pieces throughout the building. In the entry hall, a light sculpture attached to a spiral staircase attracts immediate attention with its highly instagrammable colours, whilst at the same time functioning as a way-finding device. In one of the courtyards, a playful sculpture of vertically stacked canoes add a sense of whimsy for patients looking outward. In an area intended for silence and contemplation, a curtain-like artwork by Haegue Yang made out of tiny tinkling bells emphasises the silence that follows to those who enter through it. The hospital’s commitment to art seems almost limitless – one of James Turrell’s famous Skyspaces is found behind an unassuming door. Along the room’s oval shaped walls, soft lighting smoothly changes colour over time. If a visitor wishes so, the oculus in the roof can be opened up to experience the weather.
Humanity expressed in details The attention to the individual experience is not just characterised by such grand gestures. It is also welcomed in through smaller – and, presumably, budget-friendlier – decisions. Patient rooms have fold-out beds to accommodate their parents, and doors have playful, replaceable stick-on lettering that spell out patients’ names. In a space for mourning families, a round portal points towards the garden – a window to release spirits, referencing an ancient Swiss tradition. Even the angled roofscape of the building is intended to express individuality: each slab covers only one room, emphasising the uniqueness of the person occupying it.
Child-friendly design over childish design The building's human touch comes from prioritising child-friendly design over anything overly simplistic or childish. The design doesn’t scream for attention, but it doesn’t retreat into silence either. Instead, through its thoughtful details, it reassures young patients and their families that they are seen, and that in this place, they are cared for. “A patient’s mother said: when I enter this building, I feel safe”, Dr. Grotzer recalls. He believes it is one of the greatest compliments he could receive – a testament to the building's emotional impact.
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Marmoleum from Forbo Flooring was chosen as the floor covering for the patient rooms, lounges, laboratories and hallways. This climate-positive linoleum flooring is very popular in the healthcare sector: it is hygienic, durable and particularly sustainable. Marmoleum is made from natural materials such as linseed oil, wood flour and jute. Its antimicrobial properties ensure a hygienic environment, which is particularly important in hospitals. The large selection of colours and designs made it possible to create a child-friendly, calming environment in the Zurich Children's Hospital. The homogeneous Colorex SD vinyl flooring was laid in the operating areas and the rooms with sensitive equipment. The conductive special covering is particularly suitable for use in sensitive clinical areas as it meets specific hygiene and safety requirements.
For information on Forbo Flooring's vast range of products, visit www.forbo-flooring.com