Leading transformative paediatric healthcare design
The new Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick building represents a fundamental reimagining of children’s healthcare, as part of the Randwick
Health & Innovation Precinct. The state-of-the-art facility is home to Australia’s first Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre, seamlessly integrating clinical care with translational research laboratories in a revolutionary bench-to-bedside design.
BLP’s design philosophy centres on creating a “home away from home”, with familiar, nurturing environments that actively contribute to healing. Shaped through consultation with over 2,000 stakeholders including patients, carers, clinicians and First Nations representatives, the facility prioritises the full spectrum of children’s needs: clinical, emotional and social.
Key innovations include single-occupancy patient rooms designed as bedrooms rather than wards, multi-purpose family spaces with 24/7 access, interactive play and discovery zones, and extensive biophilic design elements bringing natural light and greenery to every ward and laboratory. Glazed research laboratories demystify medical science for young patients and families, while culturally responsive design features include dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gathering spaces and Dharawal language wayfinding.
The facility’s sculptural C-shaped form encloses a central courtyard and public plaza, with balcony gardens, terraces and a pet park providing joyful distractions from clinical settings. Bridge links connect to the neighbouring Prince of Wales Hospital and UNSW Health Translation Hub, creating a whole-of-campus approach to integrated care.
Environmental sustainability is embedded throughout, with modular laboratory systems, circular economy initiatives for lab plastics recycling, and strategic planning that enables workforce growth while minimising spatial expansion.
The project demonstrates that clinical excellence, integrated research and human-centred design are complementary aspects of truly transformative healthcare.
Location – Randwick, NSW
Client – Health infrastructure NSW
Area – 49, 551sqm
Value – $658m
Completion – 2025
