Lufthafen at Altona Children's Hospital

The Lufthafen is a respiration ward for children and adolescents who cannot breathe on their own or can only do so with difficulty. It is a unique facility in Germany. The Lufthafen has two types of guests: Children who come here for a check-up and stay at the Lufthafen for a few days and children who live here in the immediate vicinity of the children’s hospital.

In the entrance area, your gaze falls on the saltwater aquarium, which invites all visitors and residents to spend time there and watch it. In the garden there is a cosy nest swing and inside and outside there are seating areas where parents can interact. They accompany their children for check-ups and can also live in the Lufthafen. The clinkered building complex was designed for enlargement from the beginning, and indeed, after 3 years, the Lufthaften was unproblematically extended by an upper floor due to the planning preparation. The project, which was planned and realised by us with a lot of heart and soul, received a great response. International representatives from other institutions also regularly come to visit.

Unusual concepts were required to create a feel-good environment. Floor-to-ceiling windows form a harmonious transition to the garden, and children can go outside in their beds or wheelchairs without any obstacles. Warm colour tones in the living spaces, a height-adjustable dining table in the lounge area, and the open atmosphere create a homely and comfortable feeling, and overshadow the necessary standard of intensive care medicine.

Here, the aim was to combine intensive care with a child-friendly environment and to consciously differentiate from the Altona Children’s Hospital operations.
The project, which was planned and realised by us with a lot of heart and soul, received a great response. International representatives from other institutions also regularly come to visit.