Herzog & de Meuron has transformed hospital design with the newly inaugurated Kinderspital (University Children’s Hospital) Zurich, or Kispi. The prestigious institution, Switzerland’s largest pediatric facility and leading research center, has relocated to a $886 million, 1.39 million-square-foot complex in Zurich’s leafy suburbs.
According to Jacques Herzog, “Architecture can contribute to healing.” The firm’s first healthcare project, REHAB (1998-2002), prioritized connections with greenery and minimized elevators. Kispi’s design builds upon this expertise.
The complex comprises a children’s hospital and research/teaching building. The hospital’s horizontal design and organic shape create a soothing atmosphere, while the research center’s abstract geometry fosters concentration and experimentation.
Key features include:
– 200 patient beds with views, light, and air
– Loggias with timber brises-soleil for shade and privacy
– 16 courtyards and wells for daylight and calming pauses
– Exposed-concrete cores with elevators and stairs
– Wide central “boulevard” for main access
– Autumnal color palette and warm oak boards in patient bedrooms
Herzog & de Meuron’s design attenuates institutional stress through attention to lighting, scale, views, and detailing. Partner Christine Binswanger notes, “Today, hospitals try to look like hotels, but I wanted Kispi to feel like a hospital, only different.”
The firm is currently working on hospitals in Denmark and California, applying its healing approach to diverse contexts.
Credits
Architect:
Herzog & de Meuron — Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, partners; Christine Binswanger, partner in charge; Michael Schmidt, Martin Fröhlich, project directors; Mark Bähr, Birgit Föllmer, Alexander Franz, project managers; Andrea Erpenbeck, Raúl Mera, Klaus Molterer, Mònica Ors Romagosa, Milou Teeling, project architects
Engineers: ZPF Ingenieure (structural); EBP Schweiz (civil); Gruner (HVAC); Amstein + Walthert (electrical); Jobst Willers Engineering (building automation); Ingenieurbüro Riesen (plumbing)
Landscape Architects: August + Margrith Künzel, Andreas Geser
Consultants: Gruner (fp); Pirmin Jung Ingenieure, Buri Mueller Partner (facade); Kopitsis Bauphysik (building physics); Evomed, IBG (medical planning); Laborplaner Tonelli (laboratory planning); Kinzo Architekten (office); Transsolar Energietechnik (climate); Basler & Hofmann West, DB-B Dieter Bauer Beratungen (sustainability)
General Contractor: Specogna Bau
Client: Kinderspital Zürich
Size: 1.39 million square feet
Cost: $886 million
Completion Date: October 2024
Image courtesy: architecturalrecord.com
