- Northwestern Memorial: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital is one the top pediatric hospitals around the world. It is not only because of the high quality of superior pediatric care they provide, but also because of the design of the hospital itself.
The design of the space was just remarkable. When we entered the hospital, the whales floating in the lobby indicate the theme of the reception floor - an aquarium. Image of animated seals were projected on the column. And there's a huge fish tank in the reception floor which becomes a place of interest in the Lurie Children's Hospital.
The elevator is painted and has buttons on the walls that could make a sound when get pressed. Every floor button has an image of animal represents it. All of these details were designed to sooth the stress of those kids coming to the hospital. (One of our hosts said her kid didn't even want to get out of the elevator!)
Every floor is themed and named by a particular donor. The 22nd floor, which is now being converted into an ICU floor, is just like a museum. Nurse stations are themed as desert, forest, prairie, to name a few. By doing so, the whole floor becomes a natural museum that arouses the kids' interests of exploring around. It is another brilliant way of erasing the nervousness of being in a hopistal.
The porches are located between every two patient rooms as a workstation for nurses and doctors, an interesting design is that stools are fixed to the porch to aviod blocking the hallway. Bathrooms in patient rooms have both bathtub and shower head to provide different options for children ranging from 0-18.
It was really inspirational to visit Lurie Children's Hospital. Every detail in the architecture shows the caring of patients.
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