In Raciborz, Poland, a new center for the donation, storage, and study of blood and blood-related diseases has a unique take on what a healthcare facility should be.
Designed by FAAB Architektura, the project's aesthetic was guided by its function. The color scheme, facade panel glossiness, and the irregularly elevated leitmotif were intentionally designed to evoke the "richness" of blood, according to the architects.
The physical geometry of the building also aims to illustrate a larger concept about the facility: the clash between biology and technology. Any rounded parts of the building are meant to represent biology, and the straight sections represent technology.
"The intentional vivid color scheme of the elevation, making the building visually suprising to the public, calls attention to the idea of the blood donation," the architects said in a press release. "Application of the glazed panels is inspired by the local Silesian building tradition, which is present in the historical building facades with the glazed bricks."
Three different shades of red were used to create irregularity on the exterior of all four levels of the facility. Ceramic pipes at the top level prevent overheating in the conference room and disguise the technological systems located at the roof level.
The Regional Blood Center, phase one of this project, contains storage rooms, a blood collecting unit, advanced medical laboratories, blood radiation laboratory, offices, and a conference center. The interior design goes hand-in-hand with the exterior design, using the same red-and-white color scheme.
Most rooms are lit naturally by two belts of windows, with the lower belts lighting up laboratory worktops on the outer walls and the upper belt, located just below the filings, allows light to penetrate to the remotest part of the rooms.
The blood center project is divided into three parts: the main Regional Blood Center building, a mobile blood center located on a bus, and Poland's first center for blood cancer diagnostics. Currently, only the first phase is complete.
Photo credit: Bartlomiej Senkowski © FAAB Architektura
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
Should your next school project include a safe room?
Many school districts continue to resist mandating the inclusion of safe rooms or storm shelters in new and existing buildings. But that may be changing.
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
Construction funding still scarce for many school districts
Many districts are struggling to have new construction and renovation keep pace with student population growth.
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
D.C.'s Dunbar High School is world's highest-scoring LEED school, earns 91% of base credits
The 280,000-sf school achieved 91 points, out of 100 base points possible for LEED, making it the highest-scoring school in the world certified under USGBC’s LEED for Schools-New Construction system.
K-12 Schools | Feb 25, 2015
Polish architect designs modular ‘kids city’ kindergarten using shipping container frames
Forget the retrofit of a shipping container into a building for one moment. Designboom showcases the plans of Polish architect Adam Wiercinski to use just the recycled frames of containers to construct a “kids city.”
Cultural Facilities | Feb 25, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs geodesic dome for energy production, community use
A new building in Uppsala, Sweden, will serve as a power plant during the winter and a venue for shows, festivals, and music events during the warm months.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 25, 2015
Edmonton considering 'freezeway' to embrace winter
If the new Edmonton Freezeway is constructed, residents will have an 11-km course that winds through the city and allows them to skate to work, school, and other city activities.
Building Team | Feb 24, 2015
Call for entries: 2015 Giants 300 survey
The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
Industrial Facilities | Feb 24, 2015
Starchitecture meets agriculture: OMA unveils design for Kentucky community farming facility
The $460 million Food Port project will define a new model for the relationship between consumer and producer.
University Buildings | Feb 23, 2015
Future-proofing educational institutions: 5 trends to consider
In response to rapidly changing conditions in K-12 and higher education, institutions and school districts should consider these five trends to ensure a productive, educated future.
Office Buildings | Feb 23, 2015
The importance of quiet and the consequences of distraction
Recent work style studies show that the average knowledge worker spends 25-35% of their time doing heads-down focused work. Once thrown off track, it can take some 23 minutes for a worker to return to the original task.
