A solar protective, nature inspired screening skin entirely wraps the NMCH building, offering the institution an immediately memorable, yet sleek identity: a friendly urban tag. The aim of our design is to reconcile the image of medical performance and the world of childhood. At an urban scale, the nesting façade acts as a screen for a permanent motion picture: it keeps secret the magic wooded kingdom of Merlin the Surgeon. It poetically contributes to re-enchant the status of the Doctor, creating a paradigm shift in the public’s experience and perception of the hospital. At pedestrian scale, the building offers patients and visitors an image of peaceful clarity. It mix modern “medical” materials like crystal glass and white coated stainless steel, with the joyful warmth of a colorful light pearl canopy.
