EKH 
Children's Hospital

Text description provided by the architects. Design philosophy: play is healing. Key concept: "Children's Dimension". A hospital is the kind of place most people would prefer to avoid as much as possible. We've seen more medical institutions attempt to create a more pleasant and friendly environment, some with architecture and interior decor almost equivalent to a shopping mall or quality hotels. If this built environment can somehow make going to the hospital feel more bearable for us adults, how about the experience for the little ones?

For children, luxury is not something that can relieve them of pain, fear of needles, or even the bitterness of medicine. Therefore, we look for things that will bring them joy throughout their hospital experience. Through children's mindset, we discover that "fun" is what every child instinctively seeks. Despite their different backgrounds, all children want to live their lives in search of something fun to do.

Using this 'fun' element as a key becomes quite a challenge given how we approach design from a child's perspective (which, sadly, we don't have much left) while constantly reminding ourselves that we should in fact make the hospital a 'fun' place. This thought process leads to the design of a hospital with a giant slider located right at the front of the lobby (imagine you are a child who dreads going to the hospital, the slider will definitely make you stop crying). The waiting area in each clinic is designed into a playground, which becomes somewhat of a burden for parents to persuade children to leave the hospital). The program also includes an indoor pool with a bunch of artificial clouds floating above it.

The children's dimension is created using various material shapes, colors and symbols that materialize from a design language that consists of delicately curved lines and deliberately avoids perfect geometries. The design offers aesthetics, which is reminiscent of the way one continues to draw a curved line without focusing on whether or not they will be able to form a perfect circle, and ends up bringing a sense of freedom to young users' experimentation with a space. These lines are shaped into the arches created above the entrances and seating areas with volumes calculated to conform to the children's body proportion, creating a built environment that truly aligns with children's behaviors and preferences.

The tone of pastel colors encourages children's use of imagination (as children, we all create our own imaginary world when we first experience a space). We believe that children will be able to enjoy the spaces within the hospital according to their own imagination and develop an individual experience through their interaction with the curated spatial programme. The scenario was designed and constructed near the pharmacy office as part of the 'waiting area' layout, which includes the 'play space'. The software allows interaction between parents and children while allowing adults to monitor their young while waiting, and the use of indirect light throughout the hospital corridors ensures that young patients are not disturbed by excessive brightness.

The hospital offers four types of rooms, categorized not as Standard, Private or Suite, but with friendlier names like Whale, Turtle, Lion and Rabbit Constellation. Each room is decorated in a different color and above the bed is a glow-in-the-dark constellation with a custom lamp to provide standard lighting and the right light level for a good night's sleep. As we adults find ourselves amazed if not a little jealous at the amazing variety and development of children's toys or even snacks these days, EKH Children's Hospital will change everyone's perception of what a children's hospital can be.