The soothing spaces of Stanton Williams’ new Great Ormond Street Hospital centre
Pioneering medicine now has a fitting home in the shape of the Zayed Centre for Research at the Great Ormond Hospital in London, designed by Stanton Williams
Popular culture would have us believe that pioneering medical research is conducted behind mysterious, closed doors, in dark rooms or an underground lab in an undisclosed location; yet reality can be very different, points out London architecture practice Stanton Williams, which has just opened its latest offering, the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children and part of the capital's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) campus.
The project – conceived to house researchers, medical stuff and patient care within a large scale building just off the main GOSH complex in central London – takes what could have been a dull clinical environment and transforms it into a ‘shared civic experience', say the architects. It is also the world’s first purpose-built centre dedicated to paediatric research into rare diseases, they proudly add.
The interior is arranged around two main hubs, an outpatient zone and a research area. From there eight storeys span an academic research workspace, seminar and meeting spaces, specialist laboratories and outpatient clinics. A 600 sq m double-height principal laboratory sits at the front, prominently visible from the street, highlighting the importance of this function within the Centre and also the area's local tradition. (Coram’s Fields, just across the road, is the former site of the Foundling Hospital and a living symbol of children’s welfare for over 250 years).
Working further towards making the space ‘softer', more informal and approachable, the Centre has also commissioned a series of site specific artworks that hang in different spots across the building – a couple are on the ground level greeting visitors.
A sense of openness is prevalent everywhere in the bright interiors, which while wrapped in timber and polished concrete, feel light and calm; providing staff and visitors a fitting home to help overcome the impact of life-changing diseases.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
The Volkswagen Passat is a sober, straight edged estate car that feels increasingly out of time
Why would anyone pass on a Passat? Volkswagen’s big load lugger proves that the old ideas are still the best
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Italian designer Enrico Marone Cinzano fuses natural perfection with industrial imperfection
Enrico Marone Cinzano's first solo show at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery debuts collectible furniture designs that marry organic materials with upcycled industrial components
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Tom Wesselmann’s enduring influence on pop art goes under the spotlight in Paris
‘Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &...’ is on view at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris until 24 February 2025
By Ann Binlot Published
-
Meet the 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner: Livyj Bereh from Ukraine
The 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner has been crowned: congratulations to architecture collective Livyj Bereh from Ukraine, praised for its rebuilding efforts during the ongoing war in the country
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
RIBA House of the Year 2024: browse the shortlist and pick your favourite
The RIBA House of the Year 2024 shortlist is out, celebrating homes across the UK: it's time to place your bets. Which will win the top gong?
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The new Canada Water boardwalk is an experience designed to ‘unfold slowly’
A new Canada Water bridge by Asif Khan acts as a feature boardwalk for the London area's town centre, currently under development, embracing nature and wildlife along the way
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Museum of Shakespeare set to open in east London
The Museum of Shakespeare puts the remains of the ancient Curtain Playhouse at the centre of 'The Stage', a new urban development in the heart of Shoreditch
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
Paddington Square transforms its patch of central London with its 'elevated cube'
Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been completed, elevating a busy London site through sustainability, modern workspace and a plaza
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural car parks to drive into, in the UK and beyond
Architectural car parks form an important part of urban infrastructure but can provide a design statement too; here are some of the finest examples to peruse, in the UK and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural Association's newest show uncovers the architectural legacies of rural China's lost generation
The Architectural Association’s ‘Ripple Ripple Rippling’ is not your typical architecture show, taking an anthropological look at the flux between rural and urban, and bringing a part of China to Bedford Square in London
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell Published
-
Into the groove: Henriksen House is the UK’s first home extension featuring exposed clay block walls
Architect Michael Henriksen uses textured clay blocks, cork flooring and self-built joinery to transform his family home in St Albans near London
By Léa Teuscher Published