Art for health's sake

The UK's leading paediatric hospital, Great Ormond Street in central London, has opened the new Octav Botnar Wing. This new facility aims to provide what the hospital calls “a complete healing environment,” thanks to its carefully planned architectural features, which try to make the wing as much like a child's own home as possible.

The £56m ($103m; €81m) building is largely funded by the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. The day unit has spaces similar to a child's bedroom and living room, and throughout the building there are a number of specially commissioned works of art.

The hospital ran a 13 week consultation with the children staying at the hospital, to which 200 responded, citing boredom as one of the main concerns, along with the building itself and the lack of art activities.

Redevelopment director William McGill said, “Great Ormond Street is short of space, and we have no green views or rolling rivers to look out on. That means we must use our buildings and design to achieve a restful and spacious feel.”

In addition to day case facilities, the new wing houses the orthopaedics ward, two operating theatres, biomedical engineering, and the international patient centre.

“The new accommodation has noticeably reduced stress for children, their families, and staff,” said a spokesperson. “It allows us to work in a more family friendly and efficient way; it allows us to reduce unnecessary admissions to hospital; and it expands our capacity to treat children.”