DU IT signs the Humanisation Project for the new Salus Pueri Paediatric Hospital in Veneto
On Wednesday, 8 October 2025, the new Veneto Paediatric Hospital “Salus Pueri” was inaugurated in Padua, in the presence of the President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, health and academic authorities, and the Salus Pueri – Crescere la Vita Foundation.
The new facility — eight floors, 155 beds and 26 operating units — represents a significant investment in paediatric healthcare in the North-East, but also an example of how hospital design can evolve towards more humane and inclusive models.
In this process, DU IT played the role of designer alongside the professors Paolo Felli and Maria Chiara Torricelli, as well as artistic director and general contractor for the supply. The Humanisation Project was donated by the Salus Pueri Foundation to the Padua Hospital-University.
A project that has transformed the building into a sensory, educational and relational ecosystem, where care is intertwined with play, discovery and beauty.
A hospital to explore: a journey through biomes
The concept devised by DU IT is based on the idea of a journey through the Earth’s biomes: each floor of the hospital represents a different natural environment, brought to life through illustrations, colours, sounds and materials that stimulate the senses and aid orientation. In collaboration with the Museum of Nature and Mankind in Padova, the journey has become a pervasive narrative of art and science, accompanying children and families through spaces of care and moments of wonder.
The interactive wall in the entrance hall, the multisensory pathways and the waiting rooms transformed into play and social areas help to reduce anxiety and stress, promoting a positive and engaging hospital experience.
A model for the healthcare system of the future
With the Humanisation Project of the Salus Pueri, DU IT reaffirms its commitment to designing spaces that place people, the senses and relationships at the centre, weaving together design, environmental psychology and a culture of wellbeing. The hospital thus becomes a place where one continues to grow, learn and discover — even in the most delicate moments of life.
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Articol in “Il Mattino di Padova”
Articol in Azienda Ospedale Università di Padova
Watch the report broadcast by RAI on Wednesday, 8 October 2025 on TG3 Veneto.
