Česky
A hospital doesn't have to be a place that feels cold and sterile. And certainly not where babies are born. In the hospital in Hořovice, the neonatology ward has been transformed into an almost family-like environment. The project is entered in the Interior of the Year competition in the Public Interior category. Situations when a baby is born prematurely or even with complications put a great psychological burden on hospital staff and mothers of babies. That is why Milena Dokoupilová, the head of the neonatology department of the hospital in Hořovice, decided to go for an unconventional solution in the case of the new wing in which her department was to operate. The owner of the hospital , Sotirios Zavalianis, came to her rescue.
The designer Markéta Fleischnerová from the MFART studio created an unconventional interior, including two rooms for mothers, based on consultations with the doctors. The first priority was to create a place where mothers of newborn babies at risk would feel safe and transfer their peace of mind to their children. However, the new environment is also appreciated by other health professionals, so much so that they have requested a similar transformation, which will be completed shortly.
A hospital with a difference
The designer Markéta Fleischnerová, in consultation with the head of the ward, chose mainly neutral, calming colours to help create a feeling of security. The traditional white has been replaced by off-white, but also by warm brown, and especially by the wood decor on the furniture. All materials were chosen with an eye to ease of maintenance and hygiene, which is extremely important in a neonatal unit. The colours also help orientation, with dark doors leading to the medical areas and light ones to the mothers' rooms.Marketa Fleischnerová also managed to change the cladding of the hospital beds to match the design of the other furniture. The hospital bedside tables were made according to her designs. She used wallpaper unconventionally for the hospital environment here, including large-scale heart motifs in some places in the mothers' rooms. The bathrooms, on the other hand, feature "water" decorations, namely waterfalls. The heart motif also appears on the floor of the corridors as a symbol of the family.
Not only silence heals
In addition to paint and wallpaper, Markéta Fleischnerová also used illuminated mandalas on glass to decorate the corridors. Another decoration are large-format photographs purchased from a photo bank to help women in a difficult psychological situation (their children are often literally fighting for their lives) to believe that everything will turn out well. The design of the bathrooms, kitchen, dining and resting areas, as well as the mothers' rooms, are meant to evoke a homely and above all peaceful environment where one can rest and relax comfortably. The photos were purchased from a photo bank, which was the most financially viable solution.
Interestingly, the hospital managed most of the work of installing the furniture and other building modifications with the help of its own staff, this reduced the costs considerably. The designer had the wallpaper and paintings made by her supplier to meet health standards.
The neonatology ward with intensive care has been operating at the Hořovice Hospital since 2011, and it is the largest maternity hospital in the Central Bohemia Region.
