by Clair Enlow

Cancer care has come a long way. The disease is no longer a death sentence, and the cure is no longer a journey into an underworld of new technologies tucked into hospital basements, walls doubled up to contain radiation. With its new home designed by NBBJ, the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle has taken another step, lifting cancer care into a realm of sensitivity and respect.

The outpatient treatment center is housed in an addition and partial remodel of the Arnold Pavilion, part of the Swedish Hospital complex on First Hill in Seattle.

The architects' goal was to make the new center a part of the healing process, and they began their programming by listening to doctors and caregivers. When NBBJ partner Richard Dallam and architect Jerry Yin heard the frustrations and desires of the oncology staff at Swedish Cancer Institute, they discovered an unscientific dream: "In an ideal world, we would provide care in a beautiful garden."   >>>

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The entry/ addition to the Swedish Cancer Institute designed by NBBJ. Photo: Assassi Productions 2002 Aerial view of the glass canopy over the three-story addition. Photo: Assassi Productions 2002   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.