nima nian + behdad heydari chosen to design care center for cancer patients in krakow

nima nian + behdad heydari chosen to design care center for cancer patients in krakow
all images courtesy of nima nian + behdad heydari

the krakow oxygen home competition invited participants to respond to a profound social crisis in southern poland. a reliance on coal-burning furnaces has left the krakow region with extremely high levels of air pollution. this has resulted in increasing instances of asthma, chronic lung disease, and lung cancer. the brief called for the design of a care center for lung cancer patients to be built as part of the maria sklodowska-curie memorial institute of oncology.

first place in the competition was awarded to a design team from iran – nima nian and behdad heydari – who, according to the jury, ‘expanded the performance of the courtyard typology across scales’.

the design is organized around a centrally positioned courtyard

nima nian and behdad heydari’s design is organized around a centrally positioned outdoor courtyard. capable of hosting a variety of events, this private space allows patients and their families to socialize and interact with one another. the building’s outer wall is clad with translucent glass, appearing as a cloud that sits lightly within the parkland setting. the interior wall, facing the courtyard, remains transparent, providing a constant visual connection between indoors and outdoors.

the building will form part of the maria sklodowska-curie memorial institute of oncology

floor plan indicating the scheme’s spatial layout

axonometric drawing showing the pavilion in context