Sunshine Radiotherapy Services Building

Sunshine Hospital campus covers a sizeable expanse of land in a residential area west of Melbourne. The main building is linked to numerous different extensions by narrow corridors and linking structures. A new one-storey radiotherapy centre, built in 2011, not only comprises a spacious reception area, several consulting suites, screening and radiotherapy rooms but also service and staff facilities plus waiting and changing rooms. It is located behind the somewhat sprawling main complex. The layout has been strategically designed to suit medical processes. The building’s function determines the form and architecture. However, the architects at Silver Thomas Hanley wanted more than mere function. The building needed a positive external image so that patients would have no trouble finding their way there through the hospital grounds. The impact should also be felt in the interior of the building, offering cancerpatients a tranquil and sheltered environment during their therapy. The architects focussed on the power of images: They emphasized the entrance with a high, curved wall. Narrow ALUCOBOND® panels immerse  the wall in a metallic spectrum of rainbow hues – a marker easily recognisable even from a  distance as it stands out from the matt terracotta façade on the rest of the building. The reception within is a high-ceilinged space flooded with light and muted in colour. Lines of perspective draw the eye along the curving wall to the green outdoors. Windows at the smaller waiting areas in front of the therapy rooms also offer views of the gardens. The aim is to give patients a feeling of freedom, despite the spatial constraints which medical technology entails. This is particularly the case in the radiotherapy rooms. In order to guarantee protection from  radiation, these rooms are windowless, concrete constructions. But a backlit and printed glass ceiling evokes a view of the skies. These images are designed to counteract any feelings of claustrophobia or fear.

Architects: STH architecture, Melbourne | Australia
Construction: Tray panels - special construction
Year of Construction: 2011
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS various spectra colours