-By Celia Ying, Photography by Kees Hummel and Rene De Wit

A hospital is certainly the last place where people would choose to spend time. Anyone who has ever been admitted knows how intense and stressful the experience can be. In order to ease the pain of sick children and their families, the Dutch National Board of Architects united with the Ronald McDonald Children's Foundation and organized a Young Architects Competition in 2003 for a project called "Kinderstad" (which means "children's city" in Dutch), hoping to extract the patients, their families, and friends from the unpleasant surroundings of a hospital and enable encounters in a more cheerful and relaxed atmosphere.

Four years after the beginning of the competition, the winning project, jointly designed by Amsterdam-based firms Sponge Architects and Rupali Gupta in cooperation with IOU Architecture, finally opened in February. "It's the first Kinderstad worldwide. Lots of hospitals have special corners where the children can play, but Kinderstad is unique in scale and possibilities. Because it is not a common use, we were able to define use and arrangements without prejudice," remarks Björn van Rheenen of Sponge Architects.

Situated on the roof of the eastern wing of the Medical Centre of Amsterdam Free University (VU Amsterdam), Kinderstad occupies the ninth and 10th floors, which feature a gorgeous glass and titanium façade. The ninth floor stands back from the existing brick-lined building of the eastern wing and from the 10th floor. This gap and the overhanging appearance give the impression that Kinderstad is hovering like a cloud above the hospital. "I hoped to create a space where young patients can forget for one moment their sickness and where they are in their own dreamland, floating like a cloud 40 meters high in the sky above Amsterdam," says Roland Pouw of IOU Architecture and project architect for Kinderstad.

The architects specially designed three kinds of titanium tiles, baked with crystal—such tiles had never before been used in The Netherlands. They assembled these tiles at different angles of inclination both on the façade and under the exterior ceiling to help reflect various spectra of light throughout the day. The unique detailing and unprecedented use of titanium and glass give the façade a playful aesthetic, while setting a visual contrast to the rather uninspired façades of the surrounding buildings.

The whole concept of Kinderstad is like that of a real city—complete with a playground, houses, alleys, streets, and streetlights. The layout invites one to linger in the interior open space of the widespread playground, where there are various calm rooms with different atmospheres and functions. "The moment the children enter Ronald McDonald VU Kinderstad they lose the connection with the hospital. It's a whole new surrounding, with no reminders of the hospital in terms of colors, space, or design," notes Marijke Peer, director of Kinderstad.

The basic idea of Kinderstad is to connect the children with nature, yet the context of a hospital makes that goal difficult. "It was a challenge to keep the concept of nature and outside play, while we were not allowed to use more materials because of hygiene. And, of course, how children use the space and the elements is unpredictable," explains van Rheenen. Considering these constraints, the architects realized the idea through the use of natural materials, such as wood, stone, and photo prints. In addition, a completely open façade and big roof windows allow natural light to come in while giving an impression that the sky and the weather are within the occupants' grasp.

Walking through the 8-m.-long tunnel with LED lighting behind semi-transparent plastic prepares visitors for a journey full of wonder and excitement. The shape of the tunnel transforms its profile from rectangular to round, while the change of color creates varying atmospheres to correspond with the four seasons. At the center of the space a big wooden staircase connects the two levels and serves as a performing stage or movie theater.

Boxes of different sizes and functions in the open area are covered with graphic references to natural elements, like tree trunks, honeycombs, water drops, and rocks, breaking down the border between interior and exterior. These reflections of nature, together with the light and views of the sky, the city of Amsterdam, and the forest, succeed in conveying the sensation of "being out and about," Pouw explains. The space is totally open to the city; the clerestory is only obstructed with small columns, just like the city has no borders. He adds, "I used the boxes sticking out of the façade to try to bring the context of the woods of Amsterdam into the child's city, and vice versa."

The project is not just the brainchild of the architects—it also involved the collaboration with the students of the Rietveld Academy and various sponsors. "All the sponsors were actually acting like little contractors," Pouw continues. "They had their own place in the 'city' [that is Kinderstad], where they could build their house, airfield, football [soccer] field, etc. We had to manage that issue like urban city planners." Thanks to the generosity of the sponsors, there is a lot to discover and experience in this little wonderland, which includes a DJ and TV workstation, an airfield, a soccer field, a race car, an Internet area, and a reading corner. To add a touch of whimsy, there is even a slide that children use as a speedy transport from the 10th to the ninth floor.

Kinderstad succeeds in incorporating extensive daylight, views, association with nature, and games and relaxation, all of which help create a positive influence on the patients' recovery. Peer compliments: "The way it attributes educational, informational, and playing aspects is great." Indeed, everyone who has been to Kinderstad is content with its setting—even patients in wheelchairs and beds are able to use the facility. In just three months since its opening, Kinderstad has received overwhelming praise. Peers continues: "We've only had very enthusiastic reactions. It's really a very nice place to be—not only for the patients themselves, but also for their parents and brothers and sisters. It's a wonderful break from the stress of the hospital. In Kinderstad they just feel like a 'normal' family again."