New furnishing for waiting area Radboudumc Amalia Children's Hospital I Gispen

Gispen completely furnished the Radboudumc Amalia Children's Hospital, which is not only child-friendly but also functional and hygienic. The new waiting area was also designed and furnished by Gispen's Healthcare Team. This is where patients aged 0 to 18 and their carers receive a warm welcome. Due to the wide variety of seating options, anybody can get comfortable here, even if they have several appointments in one day at the hospital.

COMFORTABLE WAITING AREA FOR ALL

Gispen's Healthcare Team had already handled projects for Radboudumc Amalia Children's Hospital before. This time, Gispen interior designer Nelleke Lagerwerf designed the layout of the new waiting area and selected the furniture together with client Iris Hobo and the manager of the outpatient department. This was done in close consultation with the hospital's advisory council. Nelleke: 'The square is there for patients of the children's ward and partly for patients of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. EGM Architects designed the basic layout with organic floor surfaces, to which we added Havee swing benches, Casala Lynx chairs, Gispen KOLM column tables and Gispen TEAM tables. Providing patients with a comfortable waiting area was a key requirement for the project. This included accommodating anybody from children in wheelchairs to parents with a buggy. A number of Casala Lynx chairs that we supplied have been upholstered and for teenagers we provided armchairs and Havee lounge furniture.'

INTUITIVE LAYOUT

When entering the waiting area, parents with younger children will be intuitively drawn to one side, while older youths will seek out the other. The facilities for 0 to 6-year-olds include playhouses, a fairy tree and a craft table. They can enjoy kinetic play elements where something happens when you move them. Rocking benches that make bird sounds when you rock, for example. There are also interactive screens for the 6 to 12-year-olds and for the 12 to 18-year-olds there is a football table and a lounge area. The large nature graphics on the walls are the eye-catchers of the interior, which have been designed by Lieke Neuman and can also be found elsewhere in the children's hospital.

MODULAR, SUSTAINABLE HAVEE SWING BENCHES

The Havee swing benches are modular and can be set up in various configurations. The variants for patients of the children's ward have more playful curves where those for Obstetrics have straighter edges, for example. The backrests of the Havee swing benches offer privacy and protection. Being of a modular design, components are easy to replace when necessary. And if the space requires a different layout over time, your products are easily adapted. Sustainability guaranteed; also in terms of materials, because the Silverguard upholstery is both hygienic and hard-wearing. The Casala Lynx chairs are a good example of this, which we upholstered in a special synthetic leather. When furnishing the entire hospital, we took account of specific product requirements with regard to cleaning and disinfection.

Photography: Chris van Koeverden

black and white portrait of Nelleke Lagerwerf

Nelleke Lagerwerf – Gispen Interior Architect

A word from the specialist

'It was very exciting to design the layout in such a way that all target groups are being catered to. Parents with small children as well as teenagers, for example. There is space for wheelchairs and buggies; everything has been thought of in the square. Patients often have several appointments in one day, who want to wait comfortably and perhaps pull up to a table and eat something. The diversity of seating arrangements ensures that there is a pleasant spot for every person that’s waiting.'

IT'S GREAT TO SEE HOW INTENSIVELY THE SQUARE IS BEING USED; EVERYONE MOVES THE FURNITURE AROUND AND FINDS THEIR OWN SPOT THAT WAY

Iris Hobo Design Manager Furnishing & Design at Radboudumc

Iris Hobo, Design Manager Furnishing & Design at Radboudumc

The client’s thoughts

'An important starting point for our waiting area was to provide a large variety of seating options: from high stools to low sofas and tables. The furniture range matches that of the outpatient departments. The colour scheme of the adjacent outpatient department runs through and blends with that of the square to create warmth and unity. Together with Gispen, we created tranquillity where needed by, for example, utilising sofas with high backrests or by applying wood to the play corner. It’s exciting to see how intensively the square is being used. Everyone moves the furniture around as they please and we applaud that.'