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Moscow Hospital
Fire-resistant aluminium cladding from Aluwall System, in a rainbow of bright colours, lends a fittingly childish appeal to Moscow’s new and innovative Federal Research Centre for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology. Primary colours and their complementary partners characterise the exterior and interior finishes of the blocks comprising this cheerful-looking hospital complex, each of which has been assigned its own, distinctive function.
Architect Moscow Project Institute & Asadov Architectural Studio Location Moscow - Russia Company involved Novelis Website http://www.novelis.com
Opened last year by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in the presence of the Russian health minister, the Mayor of Moscow and the German ambassador, the centre was designed by a team of architects, including Moscow Project Institute (Mospoekt-2) and Moscow-based architectural practice Asadov Architectural Studio. It was built, over a period of three-and-a-half years by German-owned specialist medical architect and contractor Transumed Medical GmbH.
The opening of what is now one of the Europe’s largest pediatric cancer hospitals was marked by a high-level medical symposium and the presentation of the Fritz Lampert Award, an annual award scheme for the best research in hematology and oncology in German-Russian speaking countries, This was organised by the Transaid Foundation for Children with Cancer. Later, several hundred guests, including patients and their parents, enjoyed a spectacular concert organised by the Grant Life foundation.
The 78,000-square metre research and treatment centre comprises a hostel for parents in addition to family apartment blocks, medical and research facilities and beds for up to 400 ill and convalescing children.
The entire development is clad in around 40,000 square metres of Aluwall System aluminium composite panels, in colours chosen by the designers from the NCS (Natural Colour System) palette. This was manufactured and coloured in Germany and provided by Russian partner SMK. Aluwall Aluminium composite panels have been created with a “specialist” anti-microbial finish called BioCote which is said to inhibit a broad spectrum of microbes, including bacteria, mould and fungi.
The hospital’s bright, undeniably cheerful appearance was very much intentional, says architect Andrey Asadov. “The doctors wanted the building to optimistic,” he says, “and nothing like the grim hospital architecture of the past”.
The interiors, designed by German architect Bettina Koenen and realised by interior designers Kusch+Co are equally playful, incorporating brightly coloured hygienic-yet-durable wall panels and furniture. Koenen chose Pietralavica technical porcelain floor tiles from Eiffelgres, in dark grey and sand to both demarcate public and private areas and complement the colourful furniture and fittings.
The 12-storey angular tower dominating the development, which houses convalescence facilities for children and their families, appears as if composed of coloured cubes. It has been dubbed “the tree of life” says Asadov, evidently proud of this iconic and important development. Coloured inserts on the adjacent, lower level buildings, which are clad primarily white and grey, help unify the them with this striking 40m-high tower.
The 270m euro building has a number of cutting edge features, not least an extremely high-tech heating and ventilation system, which creates close to 3,000 cubic metres of clean air a minute.
