To a child, visits to the doctor can be a frightening ordeal, but even a simple image or familiar creature could help alleviate that fear. That's why the aptly named Giraffe Childcare Center designed by Hondelatte Laporte Architectes is just what the doctor ordered. The children's hospital features three different cement animals embedded into the architecture to brighten up both the kids' day and the surrounding urban architecture.
The hospital's menagerie includes a towering yellow giraffe (which has since become its icon due to its visibility from all angles), a polar bear, and a handful of ladybugs climbing over part of the building's facade. The animals are incorporated into the structure naturally as visitors must walk through the giraffe's legs to enter the center. Though, these unique sculptures aren't the only impressive part of this design. The building has also been awarded the “zro Energie Effinergie” for its focus on green energy and improvement. All around this is an impressive and unique hospital exemplifying smart design.
