Screens as works of art in the neonatal ward
BB Sophia, Stockholm, Sweden
The newly opened BB Sophia maternity clinic is furnished in a tasteful and welcoming style that makes it feel quite different than the average hospital. In the neonatal unit, which treats acutely ill newborns and premature babies, Silentia’s Screen System have been transformed into works of art.
Siri Lilliesköld, a paediatric and developmental nurse in the neonatal unit, stresses the importance of a harmonious environment for patients. “Silentia’s screens with art work are used in the monitoring ward where we look after the sickest and most vulnerable babies. Their parents are going through emotional crises and spend long periods in this ward alongside their children. Our aim was that parents should feel this is a ward that is restful to spend time in. We want to avoid creating an institutional atmosphere despite the circumstances and the essential medical equipment. Basically it’s about creating a space that encourages involvement and closeness to the child,” explains Siri Lilliesköld.
Very positive reactions
“We have had very positive reactions to the art-themed Silentia screens. They are intended to create a calm, reassuring and harmonious atmosphere for the parents as well as the children.” Siri, who was involved in the interior design process along with the architects, 3dO arkitekter adds “The Silentia screens are hygienic and easy to use. They make it easy to create rooms within the ward in many different ways, and maintain the airy feeling of the ward.”
Facts
BB Sophia is a new maternity clinic in Stockholm. BB Sophia opened on 3 March 2014 and is intended to meet demand for more maternity places in Stockholm. The clinic has the capacity to look after 4,000 babies each year. The building is located in the Sophiahemmet district, and is administered by Praktikertjänst. Praktikertjänst is the largest private enterprise dental care and healthcare provider in Sweden and was established over 50 years ago.
Individual care environment is important
“We know from studies that people recover faster in care environments that are colourful, individual and pleasant to stay in,” says Annika Jorge, an interior designer with 3dO. They were responsible for choosing colours, textiles, flooring and all other non-medical loose fittings. 3dO emphasises the importance of thinking imaginatively and enhancing products, rather than simply using standard solutions. “Silentia has a reputation for flexible solutions in different sizes and colours. So we asked if they could supply the screens with artistic designs and paint the frames in a different color. It was not possible to change the frames, but Silentia was happy to produce the panels using our own designs,” says Annika Jorge.
Silentia were great to work with
3dO chose Silentia’s Daylight screens because they allow light to flood in and the customized print was created by Nadja Svensson, an architect and artist at 3dO. “Often there are limitations due to hygiene requirements, but Silentia were really good to work with. They grasped our idea of thinking freely and using non-standard solutions and they gave us trial samples to evaluate. Silentia is great at responding to customers’ needs and work quickly. We feel that the finished results live up to our expectations,” says Annika Jorge.
