Perth Children’s Hospital Reception

The Perth Children’s Hospital is a new paediatric tertiary and quaternary hospital providing world class inpatient, out-patient and short-stay care as well as providing significant integrated research and educational facilities for medical professionals. This engaging facility has been designed from the viewpoint of a child’s eye and seeks to reduce the anxiety that may be/can be associated with hospital visits.

The atrium space at the heart of the hospital is a hive of activity and wonderment, admitting plentiful natural light into the whole volume and into the adjoining spaces at each level. It is easy to find the playful main reception desk inside the main entry. It has been designed so that there are no visual impediments preventing even the smallest of children from being seen.

The cloud-like form of the reception desk cleverly conceals the localised air-conditioning equipment located at the rear of the desk to serve the reception staff. Appearing as would a control station within a spaceship the reception desk is deliberately enticing for children to create a sense of excitement and wonder to reduce the anxiety that may be/can be associated with hospital visits.

‘Although Corian^® can be shaped and moulded into such a large amorphic structure, we learned that creating large scaled curved forms requires considerable hard and soft structural support, which necessitated a physically and technically demanding exercise. The resultant form is a ‘tour de force’ of collaboration between the design team and the cabinetmaking team in achieving such an amazing result.

The result is easily captured in the imagination seen on the faces of children and their families visiting, or being treated within the hospital. The outcome of the largest element crafted from Corian^®, the atrium reception desk is a beautiful cloud-like form that positively elevates the mood of all visitors, who cannot help but feel welcomed into this exceptional world-class children’s hospital.