Valspar brings vibrant colors to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia addition

Last year, the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care opened a new addition to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) campus. The 12-story, 700,000-sf ambulatory care center features a curving curtain wall system with vibrant Valspar Fluropon coatings in nine colors. This gives a welcoming and playful appearance to a facility that serves 200,000 patients each year.

The bright colors change with each floor, alternating between orange, blue, red, yellow, green, and purple. The primary colors match the child-friendly atmosphere, further expressed by the handprints in the glass’s frit pattern. It all adds up to create a cheerful welcome for the patients, staff, and visitors.

The new addition masterfully uses color and design to create a unique patient experience. “Stacked to create an undulating form, the building’s floors vary in area and shape according to their function,” describes Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects. “Toward the clinical spaces, the main wing’s eight floors are aligned with a rectilinear spine. Along the waiting areas, floors are offset to create light-filled public spaces. The undersides of the floors are exposed, each revealing a single bright color.”

Texas Finishing applied the coatings one floor at a time and encountered up to six color changes per day. “The colors applied very well without any issues,” says Ken Martin, general manager of Texas Finishing. “It was an honor for us to be involved in such a unique project consisting of nine different colors, including some vibrant pigments accenting the building, which creates an inviting campus for children and their parents. We are confident that these colors will last for decades to come based on the superior coatings provided by Valspar.”

The healthcare industry has been experimenting with using the built environment to promote healing. The new hospital addition achieves this with its cheerful, fun new look to greet patients and their families.