Unique forms of positive memory of medical care related to childbirth

Completed in September 2021, Xiamen Humanity Maternity Hospital designed by Lemanarc SA is an extension of the existing Xiamen Hong'ai Hospital. It's given name refers to the intentions behind the hospital’s philosophy, with Hong’ai meaning ‘spread love’. Its cozy and safe atmosphere provides users with a completely new hospital experience.

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

Xiamen Humanity Maternity Hospital thus provides a full chain of services from pre-delivery all the way to post-natal rehabilitation and childcare growth. All of these services have thoroughly taken into consideration the well-being of both professionals and users. Providing users with privacy, as well as their companions, is essential for interiorizing each step during pregnancy and childbirth. For example, during moments such as breastfeeding and gynecological examinations, mothers appreciate a more intimate space where they can focus on themselves, rather than being overwhelmed by other activities taking place within the hospital.

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

Photo credit: Li Zhihui

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

The soft curved building provides an independent maternity, gynecology, and inpatient garden, including a sunken garden outdoors. The well-arranged curves of the building draw the main atrium closer, which forms the inner space of each floor. From the entrance, obstetrics and gynecologists have their own circulation paths and do not interfere with each other. Conversely, the research and laboratory areas are connected to the clinics and wards, facilitating collaboration between the various professionals.

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

Advanced technologies have been integrated to maximize the building’s environmental factors; sunlight considerations, shading mechanisms, and rainwater recovery are just a few of the processes to help improve energy savings. Its façade was meticulously thought through as the lungs of the building, with its air circulation breathing through gaps in its skin mesh as an effective and straight forward ventilation strategy.

Photo credit: Huang Xiaoting

Photo credit: Li Zhihui

Photo credit: Huang Xiaoting

The interior is rational and is designed with clear circulation and functional grid modules. The internal orthogonal modular design allows various medical functions to be easily replaced and developed, making it flexible and adaptable to future treatments. Its material selection intentionally plays with a mix of contrasts, delivering a consistent warm wood color that reinforces the Hong’ai ‘spread love’ sentiment. From pre-delivery through to post-natal rehabilitation and childcare growth, the Xiamen Humanity Maternity Hospital provides a full gamut of services, like a live theatre performance celebrating the act of life.

Photo credit: Xia Qiang

About Lemanarc SA

Vincent Zhang's curiosity and experience about the relationship between internationalization and individual value led him to establish Lemanarc SA in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a focus on the cultural dialogue and unique value search of the interconnection of architecture and the city in the global context. Today, Lemanarc is comprised of a multi-cultural research and development team filled with creative passion, with both international and local experiences in Shanghai, Lausanne, and Zurich. The team is eager to explore the challenges of new designs, while ensuring coexistence with confident to traditional values.