Canadian design firm B+H Architects and the East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), has won an international competition to design an addition to a children’s hospital in Shenzhen.
The existing Shenzhen Children’s Hospital was built in 1998, since when it has been a landmark in the Futian district at the centre of the city, beside Lianhuashan Park.
The new building will integrate healthcare with advanced research in paediatric medicine, B+H says.
The competition, organised by the Shenzhen municipal government, attracted more than 25 entries from around the world. The B+H/ECADI design proposal was elected the unanimous first place winner and the team were awarded the contract for full design services.
Stephanie Costelloe, principal of the Toronto firm’s Healthcare Asia division, said they want people to experience the building through the eyes of the children – "to instil a sense of wonder in every corner to celebrate their unique and joyful view of the world".
The reception area takes the form of an "urban living room"(B+H)
The ground floor is designed to resemble a living room, and contains an array of activities for patients, visitors, and passers-by. The upper storeys are stepped back to allow space for garden balconies at each level.
The research function is supported with a cluster of social spaces, classrooms and study areas for staff in the northeast corner of the hospital, on the same floors as the in-patient wards – a lab-bench-to-bedside philosophy.
There is also a residential area at the top of the hospital, providing flats for staff who work there, and the building is topped by a series of gardens on different heights, leading to a five-a-side football pitch. Â
Top image: The wavy exterior makes room for a multitude of "sky gardens" (B+H)
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