Client: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Location: New York, NY, United States
Completion date: 2016
Project Team
Interior Designer
ICRAVE
ICRAVE
Client
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Overview
Roughly 650 patients ages 16-26 are treated at any given time of the year at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and thanks to a generous donation from The Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, these millennials can enjoy “The Lounge”—a brand-new lounge space rich in community-building and patient-centric amenities, designed by NYC-based innovation and design studio ICRAVE.
Goals
With the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program, the concept of ‘hospital lounge’ has been completely reimagined. Innovation and design studio ICRAVE has transformed the MSK’s AYA “Lounge” into a tech-driven, spatially considerate ecosystem reminiscent of a high-end college recreation room, complete with state-of-the-art gaming technology and a robust curatorial program of socially engaging stations. Classic, stark hospital whites and beiges have been replaced with vibrant blues and pops of color which exude both warmth and energy. An open ceiling and industrial accents, including a metal curtain spiral staircase that is wrapped with inspiring and motivational poetry, keep the lounge casual and roomy. As guests enter the space through this existing lounge, they face an elaborate geometric pattern painted directly on the wall. Across the room is a movie projector screen serving as both a decorative art piece and a source of entertainment. A variety of seating types including ottomans, chairs and comfortable couches are spatially organized to encourage community and flexible use of the space. A communal chalkboard art wall fosters creativity and serves as a welcome icebreaker for patients.
Process
At any given time, close to 650 patients ages 16 through 28 are in active treatment at MSK. To meet the unique needs of this population, a task force of oncologists, nurses, administrators, social workers, psychiatrists and others was formed to develop a program that would reach patients across all MSK sites. The responses from patient focus groups and surveys conducted with teenage and young adult MSK patients helped to prioritize the key elements of this initiative. The Lounge is welcoming, fully operational and state-of-the-art, and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through thoughtfully-considered curation and spatially-driven design, ICRAVE - working with MSK - reimagined a physical space that engages MSK’s adolescent and young adult patients and fosters a distinct sense of community. The Lounge at MSK was made possible by a $1 million donation from Teen Cancer America. The nonprofit organization, co-founded by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, partners with hospitals throughout the United States to develop specialized facilities for teens and young adults with cancer.
Additional Information
The Lounge at MSK is a huge step forward in creating a better and more accommodating patient experience for the hospital’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program. Synched for the digitally integrated lifestyles of Millennial patients, features include multiple charging stations, the latest streaming services and state-of-the-art gaming technologies. The Lounge is the latest project developed around MSK’s blue sky initiatives, and is an extension of ICRAVE’s previous work developing operational models that aim to shift the current healthcare paradigm and push boundaries to change the culture of care and inspire patients, their caregivers and MSK staff.