New project: Silo to develop spatial branding for UMC Utrecht

01 June 2023

The University Medical Centre Utrecht and Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital will undergo a large-scale renovation in the coming ten years. In collaboration with atelier PRO, Silo is developing a spatial environment consistent with the organisation’s values, where people feel seen, and innovation and research are given free rein.

Integral strategy for renewal

The existing building complex of UMC Utrecht dates from 1989 and no longer meets the demand for care in the year 2023. Changing wishes and expectations, digital transformation, an ageing population, rising costs and a tight labour market require an integral strategy to renew the physical care environment and working methods and to make conscious choices about the quality of the accommodation.

Meaning and function

Atelier PRO developed a visual quality plan that brings the architecture and interior of the complex back together and supports transitions in the state of mind – of patients, family and staff alike.

“The central ambition is to create an orderly and easy-to-understand complex where... the architecture and interior reinforce the experience of UMC Utrecht's DNA.”
Dorte Kristensen , architect/director atelier PRO

To further assist the building’s users, Silo has developed an approach that makes the brand tangible, contributing to a positive visitor journey. This strategy is the starting point for developing a spatial identity, wayfinding and digital signage.