This Healthcare Center Immerses Patients in Storybook Narratives

In the name of transforming children’s healthcare for the better, ZGF eschewed scary sterility in favor of storybook immersion at this new eight-story diagnostic and treatment facility, part of a 1-million-square-foot campus expansion at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Kids are deeply absorbed in storytelling in a way grown-ups can no longer access; playing pretend is how they learn about the world. The firm’s narrative-based wayfinding tunes into this, plotting a whimsical journey through the project that immerses visitors and patients in an enchanted natural environment. A trail map in the main lobby illustrates how the hospital’s four wayfinding zones—forest, river, mountain, ocean—connect and identifies the easiest path to each destination. Since this department is located in the forest, wood and organic patterns and textures predominate, while murals by local artists depict comforting animals. Charming details unfold chapter by chapter, so to speak, from backlit 3D dioramas tucked into wall niches to tiny paw prints embedded in the terrazzo floor.

The Seattle Children’s Hospital Features Whimsical Wayfinding Cues