conrad gargett lyons completes lady cilento children's hospital

conrad gargett lyons complete lady cilento children’s hospital
all images courtesy of lyons architecture

melbourne architectural and urban design practice lyons and brisbane architects conrad gargett, have completed the ‘lady cilento children’s hospital‘ in australia. the project is a specialist pediatric teaching facility providing tertiary and quaternary health services to patients across queensland.

main view of LCCH 

the 12-level, 95,000m² building is a significant urban addition to brisbane’s southbank precinct. its brightly colored exterior, incorporating the green and purple coloration of the native bougainvillea plantings in the adjacent parklands, speaks of a complex designed for children. in its form and massing, it challenges the conventional model of podium and tower and delivers a medium-rise, sculpted structure with landscaped roofs.

the institution is also highly functional and incorporates some of the world’s most advanced diagnostic, interventional and treatment facilities. ‘design work began with research into the genealogy and typology of the contemporary hospital. we studied hospitals from the 1980s though to the present-day and saw these as being largely functionally driven and medico-centric in their planning’, says corbett lyon of lyons, design director of the work. ‘the queensland project was an opportunity to contest these prevailing paradigms; to radically rethink both the care model and the way in which the building might contribute to the city as a civic marker and as a touchstone for the brisbane community’.

the raymond terrace façade to the south provides the main hospital entry

the concept is based on the idea of a ‘living tree’. ‘this parti was developed in the early planning stages through a series of workshops with the hospital’s users and stakeholders’, say lyons. a network of double height spaces (branches) radiate from two vertical atria (trunks) in the center of the plan. the branch areas extend beyond the street lines to form a series of framing portals and external balconies where users can view the city. each portion is directed towards a key landmark in the surrounding context – to the high rise buildings of central brisbane, to the adjacent parklands, to the distant mountains and to the brisbane river. these volumes also serve to connect inside and outside and supply natural daylight. the vertical and horizontal spaces in the synthetic plant form comprise the principal public circulation system. they create a mind map for the building and the framed metropolis icons are used as a means of orientation. 

‘portals’ along stanley street above the emergency department entry

the architects used a ‘salutogenic’ approach, incorporating strategies which research has shown to directly support patient health and wellbeing; attributes such as clear wayfinding, connections to the outside, views of nature and providing a green and sustainable environment for patients and staff. furthermore, two- and three-dimensional art is used extensively throughout the interior. the colors used are derived from the palette of the queensland landscape. these include muted neutral tones with the more vibrant shades of the state’s exotic birds, rainforest creatures, and flora. for instance, a group of brightly colored parrots inhabit the central atrium and images of butterflies, beetles, and insects are printed onto the timber panels which line the hospital’s communal functions.

bright colors assist in wayfinding 

the arrival atrium and main reception represent a tree ‘trunk’

circulation in a ‘branch’ space

access to green space is a key element of the design. rooftop gardens, green walls, enclosed courtyard gardens and views to surrounding parklands all form part of the hospital’s healing environment. the patios on the upper levels are used by patients, families, and staff for passive and active recreation and are also used as part of the rehabilitation programs.

see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

family garden, level 5

rehabilitation garden, level 6 

view of LCCH from brisbane’s southbank arbour

concept sketch

development drawings of the ‘living tree’ planning parti

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.