Toufoula Dream Room

 

Hotel Dieu hospital

Beirut, 2008 - 2009

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Initiated by a group of independent students in Lebanon, the Toufoula project was conceived as a way of helping children with cancer to have a more enjoyable time in their hospital rooms and a number of architects, designers and fashion designers were approached, each asked to develop their version of a Dream Room.

The concept was to create a kind of indoor-outdoor space, to break open the sealed world of hospital rooms. A light box with a representation of a bright blue sky and birds was hung on the ceiling, creating the effect of a skylight.

The flooring was made of green Linoleum to simulate grass and a swing and a birdhouse were installed to complete the outdoor feels.

The graphic lines of the room and bathroom were completely redesigned and a colour code of black, white and green was applied to all the details.

The objects in the room - foam animals, the swing, the balloon-like lamps stuck to the walls, the frog-like bathroom mirror - were all examples of contemporary design chosen not only for their contribution to the overall theme but also to subtly introduce the children to the aesthetics of design. This project was made possible thanks to the contribution of Over The Counter, Vivre and my assistant Carlo Massoud.

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Project assistant: Guilaine Elias 
Photo credit: Nadim Asfar

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