The New Gaslini Children’s Hospital, located in the heart of Genoa-Quarto, is an ambitious project that redefines the pediatric care model in Italy. It is not just about clinical excellence, but also an intervention that places the experience of the younger patient and his or her family at the center, integrating architecture, landscape, and environmental comfort.

Outdoor accommodations focus on Giardino dell’Accoglienza, a reclaimed green space at the entrance to Pavilion Zero, on the north side of the historic park, a few steps from St. Jerome’s Abbey. This garden represents the symbolic and functional threshold of the new Pediatric Emergency Department: a place that welcomes, directs and assists its users.

Landscape design, in a deep harmony with architecture, responds to practical and emotional needs. The flows of users and emergency vehicles coexist with rest areas for children and families, thanks to green islands with seatings and fragrant and colorful and trees.

Technical constraints guided the botanical choice toward second- and third-size trees, alongside shrubs and grasses. Each plant has a specific function: Cornus trees mark the pedestrian entrance to the parking lot, potted orange trees evoke the Abbey’s ancient orchard, Jacarandas accompany the driveway entrance, and Pyrus trees signal the main entrance.

Plants will be bedded on baulature, small earthen elevations with masses of herbaceous and graminaceous plants in shades of white, yellow and violet. This system promotes rooting and enriches the visual and sensory experience.

The Giardino dell’Accoglienza is configured as an extension of the hospital pavilion, an interface between the city and the healthcare facility. The landscaping is an integral part of the identity of the new Gaslini: a place where the quality of space contributes directly to care.