In Zurich, Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron has built the University Children's Hospital on behalf of the Eleonorenstiftung, a private foundation. The complex aims to take the needs of young patients and their accompanying relatives seriously, stimulate their imagination and thus alleviate some of their fears about a stay in hospital. The architects have followed the principle of ‘healing architecture’, which places greater focus on people and, instead of cost-optimised treatment routines, gives them increased attention with regard to their well-being. In this project, Herzog & de Meuron achieve this by keeping the child's perspective in mind, visually dividing the three-storey building into small fragments that are reminiscent of tree houses thanks to their wooden façade. Generous panoramic windows also provide views of the park and green courtyards. This atmosphere creates trust and a sense of security despite all the necessary functionality.

Statement of the jury

It took a long time, from the land swap with the canton in favour of a more spacious site in 2009, to the architectural competition in 2011 and the planning and construction phase, before the Zurich Children's Hospital was able to move into its new location on the eastern outskirts of the city in 2024. As the building owner and private sponsor of the children's hospital, the Eleonorenstiftung demonstrated its perseverance and visionary courage in deciding on a new building that does not look clinical at all, in the interests of its young patients. Surrounded by numerous healthcare facilities in the Lengg hospital district, the children's hospital sets an accent that expresses the social aspects of architecture. It takes far-sighted and determined clients like the Eleonorenstiftung to create clinics that structurally and visually express what they are – namely, a place of recovery.

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