A Metallic Monochrome Forest Awaits in a Columbus Children’s Hospital

Can data centers generate community? Yes, say Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Gensler Chicago. The latter oversaw the architecture and interiors of the Columbus, Ohio, facility’s ground-up, 87,000-square-foot building, which brings together data and conference centers, offices, coworking spaces, and medical simulation labs in an inviting five-story hub focused on engagement and education.

“From the beginning, our client was intentional about the place they were creating,” Gensler principal, co-global healthcare leader, and design director Randy Guillot recalls. With “hospital in a park” as the guiding theme, visitors pass through a landscaped plaza encountering a custom fritted glass facade. Once inside, the lobby is like a breath of fresh air, with a 26-foot, wood-slat ceiling, crisp terrazzo flooring, Anders Klem’s Scandi-style A Conversation Piece lounge chairs, and tall mobile panels that, courtesy of Flavor Paper wallcovering, display what appears to be a metallic, monochromatic forest. When opened, the panels reveal an auditorium under a custom dropped ceiling that’s akin to sitting beneath a tree canopy. “People understand immediately that they are welcome,” Guillot adds. Nearby, a cantilevered stair leads up to the mezzanine and second floor, where the offices and coworking spaces are. The data center is tucked away on the building’s top two floors; below grade, the state-of-the-art simulation center connects to the hospital’s tunnel network. 

RANDY GUILLOT; JACKSON METCALF; KAITLIN BECKHAM; PRINCE AMBOOKEN; JILL MAHANEY; CLAYTON WITT.