Zaans Medical Centre is the first lean hospital in the Netherlands. It is an efficient and compact building in which professional healthcare and a personal approach strengthen each other. Architecture, urbanism, landscape and interior are brought together in a coherent design. Clear routing, an abundance of daylight, and positive distractions contribute to an environment that does not feel like a hospital, but as a place that promotes wellbeing.

The clear stacking of two floors of outpatient clinics, two floors of clinical departments and a flexible facility layer between them, optimally serves these primary care processes. All departments are designed to prevent any form of waste.

Whenever possible, the outpatient clinics and nursing departments are standardised, allowing for exchangeability and adaptability. The Zaans Medical Centre is therefore flexible and future-proof.The patient experience played a crucial role in the design process. Positive distractions can reduce the stress of a hospital visit and advance recovery. The spacious multi-storey lobby has the feel of a welcoming public building. Semi-circular voids and skylights, the use of wood, bright colours, good acoustics and unobstructed views of the surroundings provide a pleasant atmosphere.

Hand-drawn illustrations on walls, glazed partitions, and lifts refer to the industrial heritage of the Zaan region. A special spiral slide offers children an adventurous way to travel between levels.

Adjacent to the Zaans Medical Centre lies a health boulevard with a rehabilitation hotel, a pharmacy, eye clinic, various shops, a supermarket and a parking garage, designed to function as a small town. The smart combination of the medical centre and related healthcare services results in a health district for Zaandam and the region.

In the new Zaans Medical Centre (ZMC), patients and visitors experience an atmosphere designed to improve well-being and support recovery. For the hospital, SILO developed a distinctive spatial identity, wayfinding and a new corporate identity.

In close cooperation with Mecanoo, we developed an integrated plan to enrich the experience of the spatial environment. A total of 3,500 m2 of hand-drawn illustrations are integrated into the architecture and placed on walls, glass partitions, light boxes, and elevators. We have opted for black-and-white craftsmanship, a personal handwriting that expresses purity, quality, and clarity. Especially for the young patients, we developed an animal world that sparks their imagination. 

Upon entry into the spacious central hall, visitors see a massive wall-covering hand-drawn illustration covering 1,500 m2. The image depicts the human body and comprises components of the industrial heritage of Zaandam, familiar to all residents of the region.