Children’s Cancer Centre

Great Ormond Street view. © Secchi Smith

Typology: Paediatric care | Location: Westminster, London

A ‘modern twist’ on healing gardens focused on play, learning and rest for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been a beacon of paediatric care since it was founded by Dr Charles West in 1852. Over 150 years, it has continually set the standard in medical care for children, and in 2018, BDP was commissioned to design GOSH’s new Children’s Cancer Centre. From the outset, the design included a strong emphasis on outdoor spaces to reconnect patients and their families with nature.

Our landscape design for the hospital embraces the concepts of ‘House’ and ‘Garden’. It offers a blend of sensory experiences with spaces for children and young people of all ages, focusing on play, relaxation, and healing. This approach evolved from early consultations with the GOSH Young Person’s Forum, where young patients explained that they miss interacting with nature when they are in hospital and expressed a desire for a nurturing, homely environment connected to the outdoors.

We want to ensure children can play and have usual experiences of childhood, including being outside and in nature. Having this highly accessible roof garden will open this up to children who, due to their treatment, health condition, mobility or other reasons, may find it hard to go outside.

• Sallyanne Pitt,  Head of Play Services at GOSH

At the heart of the design are ‘garden bays’, a modern twist on healing gardens. These outdoor areas create a sanctuary for patients, families, and staff. One of the highlights is the rooftop garden on level ten, which is divided into three unique sections: The Glades, The Enchanted Forest, and The Secret Garden. Each serves a distinct purpose: active spaces encourage outdoor play and physiotherapy, which aid in recovery; educational zones promote social interaction and learning; and quiet areas provide peaceful spots for contemplation and rest, offering a welcome escape from the clinical environment.

The planting strategy across all the gardens centres around sensory plants that change with the seasons. Brightly coloured flowers such as asters, crocosmia, and echinacea stimulate the visual senses, while ornamental grasses create a gentle soundscape as they sway in the wind. Additionally, the planting design incorporates fragrant varieties, including lavenders and mock orange at waist height, along with climbing roses and honeysuckles on pergolas, creating a rich olfactory experience. All plants will be non-toxic, thorn-free, and compliant with infection control guidelines.

The approach reintroduces a much-needed connection with nature, creating a peaceful and restorative environment that complements GOSH’s commitment to world-class paediatric care.

Gabriela Henriksson Bayliss CMLI is a Landscape Architect and Associate Director at BDP