Designed and planned by Q4A, Marnie's Lounge is a drop-in activity space at Toronto’s world-famous SickKids Hospital. It’s a space for kids to kids, while receiving life-saving and changing treatments.
Marnie's Lounge at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Marnie’s Lounge provides therapeutic programming for inpatients, outpatients and their families. Q4A designed this space for patients and visitors to engage in art activities, board games, video and arcade games, and spend time together.
The space is a special "home away from home" that promotes relaxation, connection and fun!
The vision for the space is rooted in helping patients and families cope with their hospital experience.
It is designed as an oasis for hospital patients to escape the difficult reality of their hospital visit, which in some cases can be months or years. The lounge acts as the hospital’s family room, where kids can socialize and make friends with others who have similar experiences and difficulties.
Although the lounge is designed to create an “un-hospital” experience, it is designed following hospital guidelines for material safety and full integration of accessible design and the use of various pieces of hospital equipment.
Marnie’s Lounge allows kids to engage in a variety of enjoyable activities. The design includes a learning kitchen, reading and music oasis with a soothing water wall, computer and video game stations, home theatre, and a take-and-leave library.
The lounge has been a great success, and it influences the lives of all long-term hospital in-patients who use it.
