This competition entry that was awarded first prize proposes a compact new replacement building for Lucerne Children’s Hospital. The project shows a clear internal organisation and a differentiated interior with plenty of light and transparency, as well as surprising spatial relationships.

Kinderspital, Luzern, Fischer Architekten AG Zürich

Kinderspital, Luzern, Modell, Fischer Architekten AG Zürich

The Children’s Hospital of Lucerne Canton Hospital lies close to the River Reuss, on the north-western periphery of Lucerne city centre. Against the background of free choice of hospital and the the related importance of ensuring that the infrastructure remains state-of-the-art, a competition was set up for the modernisation of the hospital. The built intervention was required to take account of the increasing numbers of patients and staff and, equally, medical progress and the more stringent quality regulations.

When working on the project it became clear that, due to the measures called for and the spatial changes that they involved, the existing grid could no longer be used. The compact new replacement building that was therefore proposed takes up the existing urban grain and is placed in a spatial relationship to the existing eye clinic. A joint forecourt forms the place of arrival. The Children’s Hospital is convincing through the clarity of its internal organisation. Visitors can be guided into the day clinic from the function level, decoupled from the operations department, acute and intensive care stations.

The two-storey foyer and two courtyards staggered in relation to each other break up the rigid system of spaces, creating a differentiated, child-friendly internal world with plenty of light, transparency and surprising spatial relationships at a scale appropriate to the child.