Queen Silvia Children Hospital

Consideration, for both the patient and the family and relatives, is the guiding star when shaping the new Queen Silvia’s child and youth hospital at Östra hospital in Gothenburg.

A building that meets the needs of a safe environment without making compromises on high technology and modern work routines. An urban hospital area Today, Östra hospital is made up of a cohesive set of 60’s and 70’s type buildings in a park with high lamella housing for care wards and lower houses for treatment departments.

Healthcare’s increased demands on the vicinity between units entails a densification of the entire hospital area, turning it into a more urban environment with elements of streets, squares and alleys. The new children’s hospital forms the first part in this change into a more city-like hospital area.  
The children’s experience of meeting carers and the care environment has been particularly highlighted in the project. Play and seriousness One of the challenges has been combining a high technological business with high demands on equipment, hygiene and effectiveness, with the desire for a safe, decorated and playful environment that the children have with their families. The average care time is 2,5 days, but several children spend a long time at the hospital, sometimes six months or more. The interiors have a warm and decorated character upon arrival at the hospital, which is also visible to the surroundings through large glass parties, balconies and terraces. An over-glazed, green courtyard gives patients, parents, siblings and staff the  opportunity to take a break from treatment units and wards.

Relatives’ participation in focus The new building will be built next to the existing children’s  hospital. There are also more changes here; the operating room is being developed through more and better equipped operating rooms, and intensive care is being expanded and patients’ integrity is being improved. The new wards are designed to facilitate the participation of relatives in the care work and provide the opportunity to spend the night next to the child. Good acoustics create a healing calm To create good conditions for worldclass child care, an investment in a good sound environment adapted for each room and function in the hospital was required. For example, operation rooms demand large sound absorption to reduce hard noise from technical equipment, something that both calms the patients and also improves the work environment for employees. During the project, White approved  products and conducted their own additional tests. An example of such particularity applied to the many PRINT canvases from A.M. Acoustics, which meet the requirements for both fire class and hygiene. The cloth and frame are wipeable with alcohol-based cleaner and the sound absorbing core is made of EcoSUND, made from recycled PET.  The material can withstand damp and doesn’t release any emissions or dangerous fibres. As a whole, this made A.M. Acoustics’ products a natural choice for the sensitive hospital environment.