Children’s Hospital of Soochow University

Children’s Hospital of Soochow University

Children’s Hospital of Soochow University

Healing, Growth Processes Inspire Design

From humble beginnings over 2,500 years ago, Suzhou is now a booming urban centre of over one million people. Famous for its classical gardens, the Children’s Hospital at Soochow University seeks to connect to the city’s verdant heritage to transform the institutional image traditionally associated with children’s hospitals in China.

The design of the new hospital was inspired by the body’s natural way of growing and healing: cell division. Its form is derived to imagine the telophase stage of cell division, and creates an overall building shape that is flexible and efficient, enabling both complex and routine patient-care, research and educational opportunities. The hospital offers a full continuum of care for a vulnerable patient population in efficient inpatient and outpatient settings.

The hospital’s design is distinguished by a number of important elements:

  • The curvilinear forms of the architecture and the sensitive use of colour and texture make the facility welcoming and approachable.
  • Because the perception of cleanliness is culturally significant, the uncluttered, minimalist design of the atrium, cloaked in white, conveys a suitably pure and sanitised environment for healthcare, while the curved, light-filled form communicates a soothing environment.
  • A series of courtyards, inspired by those prevalent in the city, breaks down the mass of the building. These open gardens allow natural light and ventilation to reach the centre of the main hospital, exposing patients and their families to the healing properties of nature.
  • Gardens also line the southern border of the river canal, providing outdoor areas for leisure and recreation, and a fully accessible green roof creates a place of respite for patients and their families.
Children’s Hospital of Soochow University
Client
Soochow University
Location

Suzhou, Jiangsu
China

Size
127,905 m²