Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital

Project Challenge:

Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital is an award-winning facility that began with big goals. The six-floor, 72-bed facility, needed to be welcoming, creative, and cheerful for families and children. Hershey also wanted the building’s architecture to be clean and modern, with state-of-the-art healthcare and education. Under the direction of Boston-based architecture firm Payette, and international environmental design house Selbert Perkins, Hershey’s concept – “Healing with Nature” – sought to enable users to get well, fit in with the site’s countryside setting, and serve the local rural communities.

Skyline Design’s Solution:

In collaboration with Payette and Selbert Perkins, Skyline could offer Hershey a complete lobby package, incorporating large, custom images of nature in the facility’s lobby spaces with Skyline Design’s digital printing process, and Vitracolor® back painted glass. Importantly, because glass is non-porous, it is durable, clean, and easily maintained in a healthcare environment – the perfect material for Hershey’s hospital. Skyline Design worked with Selbert Perkins to crop, scale, and reproduce several carefully chosen photographs. As a result, the reception area, elevator banks, and hallway walls now enhance the facility. Floor-to-ceiling, wall-clad photographs on glass bring the outdoors in, brightening the space with natural greens, enlarged floral patterns, and uplifting scenery. John Seeley, Principal at Selbert Perkins Design, remarks, “The sheer brilliance of the glass elevates the image quality and impact in the environment.”

Result:

The result of the project is visually stunning; it is also welcoming and functional. The photographs were reproduced with clarity and vibrancy, transforming the building with depth, brightness, and authentically rendered color. However, at Hershey, “Healing with Nature” means more than the just inclusion of trees, birds, flowers and forest. The clean, natural, and sustainable purity of Skyline Design glass undoubtedly completes this healing space.