An archipelago of colour in Milan

Opened at Christmas 2012, the new Cittiglio Paediatric Unit is quite different from a conventional hospital ward. Created as part of the «L’Arte che cura» project promoted by the non-profit foundation Il Ponte del Sorriso Onlus, it is specially designed to stimulate children’s imagination. «The archipelago of islands of colour» serves as a fantasy backdrop where the characters Nuvolo, Gambalunga and Granchietto take children on a journey to the «blue island», the island of peace and lightness, and play with them on the warm sandy beaches of the «yellow island» in the company of a hundred small crabs. They accompany them through pink and red coloured seasons, from the warmth of the summer to the yellow of the autumn, then hide in the safety of animals’ dens in the woods in winter. Last but not least, they can visit the «Factory in the Sea», where the emerald coloured waters prepare to paint magical and evocative marine pictures. But these artworks have more than just a decorative function, they are based on sound pedagogical principles and provide a unique and revolutionary way of helping children cope during their time spent in hospital. The colours, designs and images stimulate children’s imagination, allowing them to dream, cross the boundaries of space and time and create a fantasy world that helps them overcome the trauma of the hospital environment.
The project was carried through in cooperation with Ospedale di Circolo and Fondazione Macchi and saw the artistic contribution of Accademia di Brera and Arteatro. Twelve students from the prestigious academy designed and created the artworks with hard work and passion.
In this context colour plays a vital role in the interior furnishings. In particular, 20×20 cm tiles from the Interni and Flooring collections from Ceramica Vogue were chosen for the floor and wall coverings in the bathrooms due to their versatility and variety of colours. With high frost and chemical resistance and a satin finish, these tiles are ideally suited for use in both interiors and exteriors and on floors and walls in moderate foot traffic areas such as the hospital environment. Furthermore, the rough surface of the Flooring series is designed to meet all practical and legislative requirements in terms of slip resistance in wet areas (R10 A-B) as it ensures a good grip without sacrificing aesthetics or ease of cleaning.
The entire design project sought to coordinate the colours and finishings effectively so as to create a visually and emotionally stimulating environment for the children.