Nov 19 2015
President and CEO of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Madeline Bell, the Buerger Family, employees of the hospital, families, and local civic leaders celebrated the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care with a ribbon-cutting on November 7.
View looking southeast from City Boulevard
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architect's new 700,000 square feet outpatient facility is the first of its kind for the Hospital, bringing specialty treatment and rehabilitation services for an expected 200,000 young patients annually. Senior Principal Cesar Pelli, FAIA Principal Mark Shoemaker, AIA and Senior Associate Chris Koon, AIA attended. Mr. Pelli remarked, "Depicting the playfulness of children helps reinforce the idea of a positive medical experience."
PCPA's design of Buerger Center is a dynamic addition to CHOP's main campus in West Philadelphia. Composed of stacked, undulating forms and a palette of primary colors, the twelve-story building and six-story wing offer young children and families an uplifting, interactive setting for treatment. Easy-to-navigate floors, colorful pods with "Wait, Play, Learn" displays for fun engagement, and a roof top garden for rehabilitation and play are features that help reduce the stress typically associated with hospitals. The three-acre landscaped plaza provides open space for safe recreation, family gatherings and small pockets for private reflection; medicinal gardens have been planted for therapeutic use.
The lobby is spacious and light-filled with an accessible, curved ramp that invites children to zigzag their way up three levels and observe the activity below. The ramp connects to a bridge linking to the North Campus across the street. The twelve-story main wing is rectangular on one side to accommodate clinical "neighborhoods of care" and curvilinear on the other side to create playful lobbies. The six-story wing accommodates a rehabilitation gym on the third floor and the roof-top garden on the top floor. An elliptical glass elevator orients patients and families directly to lively "welcome" centers on each clinical floor.
FKP Architects, based in Houston, Texas, served as the Architect of Record.