2_1_DiscoverGermany_December14_Issue21:Scan Magazine 1
20/11/14
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Nickl & Partner Giving architecture a human dimension Bringing intelligent design to life while showing respect for both people and resources: that is the mission of the architects at Nickl & Partner. TEXT: EMILY ENGELS | PHOTOS: NICKL & PARTNER
“The efficiency and motivation of hospital staff is fundamentally dependent on the work environment,” says Professor Christine Nickl-Weller. That’s why Nickl & Partner always aims to give clinics and hospitals
a human dimension. Fair, light-filled spaces instead of dark, gloomy hallways help to dispel fear and anxiety. The concept also continues into the patients' rooms, which are full of warm colours, wooden floors and large windows. Professor Nickl-Weller explains: “A patient who feels comfortable in their environment is less stressed and can heal more easily. A doctor who likes going to their place of work will be more motivated at their job.” Healing architecture
Hans Nickl and Prof. Christine Nickl-Weller
76 | Issue 21 | December 2014
The first example of their concept of “Healing Architecture” is the district hospital in Agatharied, in the foothills of the Bavarian
Alps.The 508-bed hospital is designed and built as a small city. It comprises seven freestanding structures: a treatment area, four wards each with slightly different designs, and a psychiatric unit. The floor plan is designed so that medical staff is as close as possible to their patients, and all areas are naturally lit to encourage people to stroll, linger, and, most importantly, get better. Nickl & Partner’s recently completed modernization and expansion of Frankfurt’s university hospital was designed to reflect its reputation for advanced medicine.The campus faces the river Main and is bounded by two research and laboratory buildings, a lecture building, and other central teaching and research facilities. A canopy links the different parts of the complex and highlights the transparent foyer’s role as the interface between the university and the hospital.