For the first time Michael Hopkins and Partners design a hospital, and as such, they preferred to think in terms of other building types, in particular offices and hotels, in order to break away from the typical of endless corridors and dull, airless wards. The project was emphasized by two key principles: to design a hospital that doesn’t feel like a hospital, and to greatly improve the patient, staff and family experience. The resulting building has barely changed from the original concept. A hospital that doesn’t feel like a hospital from the earliest drafts the design team responded to feedbacks from children who disliked the institutional atmosphere of hospitals and wanted light, color and fun.

Key themes and architectural features of the Evelina Children Hospital reflect their views without compromising clinical efficiency. In fact, the plans were also designed in serious consultation with medical teams to ensure that the design met and, in some cases, exceeded NHS guidelines. The new hospital is an isolated 7-storey, glass-cladded building, incorporating a massive glass roof to create a 4-storey high, south-facing glazed conservatory. This highly visible atrium is the social heart of the new hospital, which has been carefully designed to be flexible so that it can accommodate a number of different activities.

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