Pavilions and shops for special visitors and clients

EGM interiors has designed and fitted out two striking pavilions and four shops: a florist’s shop, a gift shop, a fitness centre, a medical supply store, a patient information centre and a travel clinic. Each of them occupies a spot within the public zone of the Erasmus MC. They mark the completion of the hospital’s central promenade and its vibrant plinth outside.

The independent shops reflect the policy of the medical centre to allocate more space in public areas to visitors, patients and staff. Places for relaxation and information. The shops can be entered directly at street level outside. Inside, the two transparent pavilions are orientated in all directions. In their design and materials they blend seamlessly with the surrounding hospital. The six retail and advice units complement the 20 shops and cafés inside the hospital.

Freestanding pavilions

The pavilions are located in the Passage, the central promenade with the main reception desk, on both sides of the sculpture Duna. This work and the accompanying seating platform provide an important meeting point and point of orientation, and it remains visible from each direction. Featuring detached and strategically placed panels and plenty of glass, the pavilions are designed to look attractive from all directions. Incorporating glass into three of the four sides allows sight lines to extend out from the pavilions and into the Passage towards the artwork.

At the same time, this arrangement offers the florist’s and gift-shop manager the freedom to determine their own setting and advertising. The pavilions are designed without ceilings so that sunlight can enter through the glazed roof of the Passage, and the rhythm of the day is perceptible in the shop interiors. With bamboo, plaster, concrete coating finishing and anthracite-grey roof edges, the pavilions blend perfectly with the materials used in the public areas. The result is a calming atmosphere that enhances the inviting and open feel of the medical centre.

High Five fitness centre

High Five fitness centre is a sports centre for organizations and is housed in the plinth of shops and cafés outside. The centre focuses specifically on employees at Erasmus MC, who can enter directly from the hospital. The interior has a sporty and sturdy feel. Exposed cables and air ducts on the ceiling feature a bright-blue acoustic coating that lends the space a tough, industrial look.

Cruc medical supply store

Cruc medical supply store is a national retail chain that sells health care devices to patients. A lot of usable display space has been created with plenty of daylight, a modest palette of colours and compact sales and seating furniture. The rounded corners of the furniture echo the corporate style of the hospital, while the colour scheme reflects the identity of the retail chain. Colourful display cabinets, fashioned from sustainable and locally recycled skateboards, playfully interrupt the white surroundings. The newly designed interior is such a big success for the chain that it has already asked EGM interiors to design more Cruc stores.

Oncology Patient Information Centre (PATIO)

The Oncology Patient Information Centre is part of the Erasmus MC. Cancer is the most common disease in the Netherlands, and an information point like PATIO is therefore all the more welcome. Warm and domestic in atmosphere, the centre provides spaces for discovery, encounters and relaxation. The walk-in centre is detailed in natural wood, warm red colours and recognizable furniture. The seating area is designed as a living room with a TV, games computer, lounge furniture and plants. Behind it is a consultation room where peace reigns and conversations can be conducted in private. Incorporated into the wall of this room is a collection of curiosities. Precious messages, teddy bears and drawings acquire a special place and receive personal attention here. At the back is a long table for group discussions and relaxing workshops. Privacy is a prime concern in PATIO, which is why this area can be partitioned off with a colourful, sound-absorbent curtain that matches the domestic setting.

Travel Clinic

The Travel Clinic is the travel and vaccination clinic for Rotterdam and surroundings. Reflecting the travel mood of the visitors, the interior features a map of the world milled into the reception desk. This striking timber element organizes the space into entrance, waiting, consultation and treatment areas. The space, together with the individual items of timber furniture, forms a unified entity inside the clinic.

Photography: Rob van Esch