Healing Care Spaces: Shanghai Children's Medical Center Aixin Baby Home
In May 2021, the Aixin Baby Home at Shanghai Children's Medical Center celebrated its 10th anniversary together with the inauguration of its new building. After eight months of careful design, renovation, and arrangement, this "baby home," built with love from all walks of life, draws its design inspiration from candles and a "birthday cake" โ aiming to bring warmth and new life to sick children through color and human-centered environmental experiences.
Remarkably, the baby home was converted from the former boiler room of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, and the story behind it is even more moving. Ten years ago, the Aixin Charitable Foundation launched "Aixin New Life" โ a medical care and nurturing program for orphaned patients. The first care center โ the Aixin Baby Home at Shanghai Children's Medical Center โ was established soon after, and over the past 10 years it has helped 1,636 sick orphans gain a new lease on life.
From an abandoned boiler room to a brand-new "cake" building, the upgrade was led by the team of Liang Jing, Deputy Director of Media and Communication at Tongji University's College of Design and Innovation and founder of J Design. White was chosen as the main tone to symbolize purity of heart, while vibrant colors represent the children's bright future. Upholding its "Three Safeties" smart medical-care space philosophy, Yihang was honored to take part in the space upgrade of the Aixin Baby Home, donating eco-friendly furniture to help create a comfortable, healthy, and deeply healing environment.
1. Integrating medical care, rehabilitation, and education
Unlike other medical-care spaces, the Aixin Baby Home at Shanghai Children's Medical Center is a place that provides free foster care for disabled orphans and abandoned infants โ a temporary warm home for children abandoned by their parents and suffering from illness. The children here are all disabled orphan patients under the age of five. They have never felt their parents' love and must endure the torment of disease. The purpose of the baby home's design is to bring these children the warmth of society, help them be reborn, and let them feel the kindness of the world.
To make the medical environment friendlier for sick children and the treatment process gentler โ easing their negative psychological experiences โ Aixin created a dedicated humanistic medical activity space for the children. Beyond surgery and rehabilitation care, there are more humanized services, forming an integrated "medical care + rehabilitation + education" model, such as:
? A more convenient and comfortable care experience
? Coordinated social-work activities
? Psychological counseling, art therapy, and game-based stress relief for children
? Volunteer services
Therefore, the space solution for the Aixin Baby Home must both embrace a warm, childlike aesthetic and meet the home's diverse service needs.
2. Design highlights
01 A spectrum of light, growing toward the sun
All design starts with people! Most of the children in the baby home are disabled orphan patients under five who can hardly go outdoors freely. The design retains generous window openings, letting natural daylight interact with indoor color blocks to create a rich spectrum. Even while staying indoors, the children can feel close to nature without excessive detachment from the outside world, effectively improving the space's interactivity and sense of openness.
02 A dream castle for childlike exploration
Dream-colored castle arches, natural-toned handrail stairs, and planets and animal decorations in harmony with surrounding colorsโฆ Everywhere you look, stillness and movement combine. The design fills the children's missing sense of security while guiding their inner gaze toward a wider world. The Donald-Duck-bill-shaped chairs of the Dake series inject a playful, lively atmosphere and spark the children's imagination.
03 Thoughtful care in every detail
From pausing to lingering to connecting, there is a kind of communication called "loving to be together." Clear color contrasts intuitively guide visitors to explore the space. Modular sofas, with their soft, cute forms and colors, quietly create a gathering point where emotional colors collide organically.
โณ Yihang office furniture public space solution โ Huali Series
โณ Yihang ergonomic seating โ Avisa Series
More and more children are beginning new lives at the Aixin Baby Home, and Yihang, upholding its "Three Safeties" smart medical-care space philosophy, is honored to be part of it. Going forward, Yihang will continue to contribute the power of love and support charitable causes.
