Cincinnati Children’s Arrival and Concourse

A collaborative effort between GBBN, Kolar Design and Human Nature, the hospital concourse is the central artery families travel within the hospital building. It serves as the front door to the campus connecting the exterior drop-off, underground parking and its clinical buildings together. As the campus evolved over time, the concourse was no longer reflective of organization’s brand promise nor supportive of the needs of families who use the space daily.

The team began by reorganizing the arrival journey to create hierarchy within the space (that is also mirrored within the underground garage) to ease orientation. Cues of color, lighting, graphics, art and architecture were carefully scripted to support and reinforce each other and enable families to intuitively find where they need to go while also bringing delight to the space. 

Guided by family input, space to pause and pull over, take off coats, make calls, work, rest or play between appointments was integrated to provide comfort. Play opportunities designed to meet a variety of needs/interests include interactive benches, a kinetic ball sculpture, a concourse-wide treasure hunt and animal themed learning features. 

As part of the project turn over, greeters and other concourse staff were provided on-boarding training to support them in providing the best experience possible for families.