Another challenge is the need for flexibility, which makes it difficult to tailor the environments to any great extent. A hospital is a major investment that will be in use for a very long time. If necessary in the future, it has to be capable of being adapted and becoming home to new activities without any major intervention.
When you get off the tram, the children’s hospital is the first thing you notice. From its coloured façade, it’s impossible not to know what’s going on there, and this helps people to find their way.
“The families who come here are in a vulnerable situation. This is a strange environment for them, and so we want to de-dramatise the situation by using the expression of the building,” says Krister.
The entrance is home to the play therapy facility, and the lush courtyard with its artwork in the form of a marble run six storeys high arouses curiosity. This is a playful environment that approaches children on their level and sets the tone from the outset.
In the more private areas where the families spend time, everyone has their own room with a terrace. Some rooms even resemble small townhouses with gardens. The presence of family is importance, which is why each patient room has been designed to look after the whole family and can accommodate two relatives. The relatives room features a full kitchen where families can cook the food that their children are used to at home and not just heat it up.