Radio Lollipop at Evelina Children's
The creation of Radio Lollipop’s newest station and global HQ — a striking, glass-walled studio within the atrium of Evelina Children’s Hospital, London — bringing music, fun, and smiles to young patients.
| Sector | Healthcare, Charity |
|---|---|
| Cost | £50K |
| Role | Design Architect, Project Manager |
the brief
Design and deliver a vibrant, child-friendly radio studio and global HQ for Radio Lollipop — a unique, transparent broadcast space at the heart of a world-renowned children’s hospital.
what studio mode did
A private donor provided £50k of charitable funding to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, specifically for the design and installation of the new Radio Lollipop global HQ. The money was gifted on the condition of a fast project turnaround.
Studio Mode were appointed as design architect and project manager, tasked with the design and delivery of the studio and its custom-built presenter’s desk. We worked closely with the hospital estates team to define the project’s exact scope and constraints. Our initial concept design sketches were well received by the hospital, the funders, the charity, and Radio Lollipop.
We developed the design into a striking, minimalist glass box—roofless so it could be viewed from the children’s wards above, and with one wall designed to open entirely, allowing the studio to function as a proscenium stage when broadcasting to a live audience gathered in the atrium below.
We project managed the design and delivery, working alongside a specialist subcontractor to construct the studio. We also designed and administered a number of direct subcontract packages to fit it out. In keeping with the transparent nature of the studio, we designed the presenter’s desk to be entirely see-through—believed to be the first of its kind in the world. The final design is one that children find welcoming, intriguing and fun. We handed the project over successfully and on time, meeting the strict timeline set by the funders.
The funder and hospital charity were thrilled with the result. The estates team felt the studio complemented their iconic, award-winning building beautifully. But most importantly of all—the children love it. (And so did Alesha Dixon, who officially opened it with great enthusiasm.)
anything else?
Yes. Studio Mode were also asked to assist in designing the grand opening. This involved wrapping the entire studio like a giant gift using tensile wires, which could be pulled on cue to reveal the new space to a crowd of 500.
“The Radio Lollipop Evelina project was a lovely, positive project to be involved with because of its location coupled with the enthusiasm of the project team. The design of the studio is amazing and I’m sure that it will bring a lot of happiness to the children in the hospital.”
any tricky bits?
Plenty. The hospital required the studio’s glass panels to be craned in during a single lift, which meant closing Lambeth Palace Road. Every other component had to be designed to fit into the hospital’s existing goods lift.
To complicate things further, the atrium’s floor is a terrazzo finish located directly above the paediatric intensive care unit—so mechanical fixings into the floor weren’t permitted. Our solution? A completely freestanding design for both studio and desk.