Kispi

The construction of the new University Children’s Hospital in Zurich has resulted in a hospital that is unique in the world. It is a flagship project in the field of healthcare for children and young people. The design is by the renowned architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron, which has created a building that architecturally combines medical excellence with a sense of security.

As a Swiss furniture manufacturer with many years’ experience in the care, education, office and residential sectors, Embru was able to make a wide-ranging contribution to this extraordinary project: products from across all its ranges were supplied to the Children’s Hospital – something that doesn’t happen every day.

Photos: Pierre Marmy

All of Embru’s expertise under one roof

The children’s hospital brings together a wide variety of requirements under one roof: medicine, nursing, schooling, offices and therapeutic services. Our scope of work was correspondingly broad. Embru is a Swiss furniture manufacturer and produces many of its pieces in the Zurich Oberland. The range is complemented by hospital beds from the German manufacturer Stiegelmeyer, which are characterised by functionality, durability and timeless design. Products from several of our core segments were supplied for this project:

• Care area: Beds, bedside tables and functional furniture that meet the highest standards of hygiene, ergonomics and durability.

• Hospital School: Sturdy, child-friendly furniture for educational support as part of everyday hospital life.

• Customised trolleys for mobile use in schools: In the office furniture sector, specially designed trolleys were used. These mobile units, finished in bespoke colours, enable teaching staff to take teaching materials directly into patients’ rooms, thereby facilitating bedside teaching.

• Special solution from the garden furniture range: A bespoke version of our new ‘Park Chair’, used as an aesthetic and functional feature in the building’s courtyards.

• A classic: The Haefeli garden table is a design classic from the 1930s

Bespoke solutions for a hospital of the future

The new building is characterised by clear, natural materials. Delicate, organically shaped wooden elements create a warm, calming atmosphere that gives the hospital an almost homely feel. Spanning several storeys, various green atriums run through the building – quiet, light-filled retreats that feel like green oases and invite visitors to relax and recharge.

Here, the Park Chair can be found in a bespoke version with a hot-dip galvanised frame and seat surfaces in pearl white. Together with the light blue garden table, these pieces of furniture blend harmoniously into the light-filled courtyards. The light, pastel shades emphasise the bright, friendly yet clinical atmosphere and draw the eye towards the sky, enhancing the sense of openness.

In-house nursery and school

Hospital schools are state-funded schools recognised by the Zurich Cantonal Department of Education, but are run by private organisations. They are aimed at children and young people who are ill and who are hospitalised for long periods or on a recurring basis – whether in the acute care unit, the psychosomatic-psychiatric therapy ward or at Kinder-Reha Schweiz.

Storage units on castors

Colourful office units, known as ‘Caddys’, serve as mobile storage units for hospital-based teaching staff when visiting patients’ rooms. The eQ Caddys could be individually configured by staff and are fitted with a lock.