special report
As part of our special report on paediatric design best practice; this article explores the impact of art and digital technology on children and young people
The art of healing A
rt is becoming increasingly central to the overall design of paediatric units, helping to make
environments appear less institutional and, in many cases, taking patients’ minds off their condition and treatment. This approach was evident during
the recent refurbishment of the paediatric unit at the San Carlos Hospital in Madrid, where wall panels and furniture are adorned with the multi-coloured geometric shapes that have become the trademark of local artist, Okuda San Miguel. Printed onto Younique decorative wall
panels from Formica Group, the renovation has created an artistic space that patients, family members and the centre’s medical staff can all enjoy. Dr Esther Aleo, director of the Child
and Adolescent Institute of the Hospital Clinic of Madrid, said: “The kind of atmosphere that surrounds the admission of a child is, without doubt,
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very important. “Details such as the lighting and
comfort of the space where they will spend hours waiting are fundamental. “Art allows us to seek refuge and
find an escape, strength, and happiness, which is what the children, their families and medical staff can perceive in Okuda’s work.”
Public health In the UK, Art in Site recently worked with illustrator, Richard Hogg, on the new children’s emergency unit at King’s College Hospital, London. Hogg illustrated a series of animals
that play across ceilings and walls in the facility. Peter Shenai, Art in Site’s creative
strategist, said: “Art can reassure children by providing comforting, child- friendly stimulation that makes them feel they belong here in the child- positive environment.
“In this sense the environment acts
as an extension to the doctor’s child- friendly bedside manner, giving an impression to children, and their parents, that their needs will be understood, respected and well catered for. “This is also a public health issue:
Young children coming into hospital are at a formative stage of their lives. If the environment is scary and adult- focused, this can lead them to develop phobias about the hospital, which spells trouble for the staff who have to treat them in the future.” But paediatric units can cater for
children of all ages and an important part of the design process is accepting that a one-size-fits-all solution isn’t always the best answer. Shenai, who also worked on an
interactive art app for children visiting St Thomas’ paediatric emergency department in London, said: “It comes
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