Magic Valley is a renovation project focused on redesigning the children’s leisure area at a maternity and child hospital in Malaga, Spain. Situated on the hospital’s 7th floor, the leisure space is divided into three zones: a versatile indoor area that serves as both an entertainment and learning space, flanked by two outdoor terraces on either side. Malaga’s year-round pleasant climate provides the perfect setting for outdoor activities, offering children a fun and relaxing environment. These thoughtful arrangements aim to enhance the comfort and experience of children undergoing treatment in the hospital.
The project was originally initiated by the Juegaterapia Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating “playgrounds” for children hospitalized for cancer treatment, allowing them to enjoy moments of play and joy.
Recognizing that positive emotions play a crucial role in children’s recovery, and supported by studies demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of play, this project strives to create a joyful and vibrant environment. The goal is to help children forget their illness and worries, filling them with energy and vitality, which can contribute to long-term positive effects during rehabilitation.
At the project’s inception, we drew inspiration from Malaga itself—a beautiful city nestled between mountains and the sea. We were delighted to discover that the 7th-floor terrace offers simultaneous views of the northern mountains and southern sea. This stunning natural backdrop inspired the creation of the “Magic Valley” concept: a fairy tale forest on the northern terrace and a magical seaside scene on the southern terrace, providing children with a dual space for imaginative exploration.
Due to the limited outdoor terrace space and the need to maintain a sense of connection between indoors and outdoors, we chose to utilize the existing column structure as the foundation for the fairy tale forest. By integrating playful elements and ground patterns, we preserved the horizontal space’s flexibility, allowing children to freely engage in immersive play experiences. The outdoor terraces simulate natural environments—with flowers and plants on the north terrace and seaweed and waves motifs on the south—offering interactive installations that encourage play and social interaction.
Separating the northern forest and southern seaside terraces, the indoor area acts as a seamless extension of both environments. Through ground design, the outdoor and indoor spaces visually merge, converging in the central indoor area. This central corridor, featuring wooden flooring and earthy tones, echoes a mountain path. On either side, vibrant leisure and play zones reflect the outdoor themes: green and yellow hues inspired by the forest on the north, and deep navy blues representing the ocean on the south.
In summary, the Magic Valley project sets new standards for children’s leisure and play areas within hospitals, recognizing these spaces as vital components of pediatric rehabilitation programs. Research conducted jointly by the Juegaterapia Foundation and the University Hospital of La Paz in Madrid demonstrates that transforming simple rest areas into vibrant, positive play environments significantly supports children’s recovery.
Project Information
Project Name: Magic Valley
Design: Baizhu Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd
Design Team: Marcial Jesús, Javier González, Mónica Páez, Lara Broglio, Ponyo Zhao, Keith Gong, Cosima Jiang, Michelle Aldora, Jango Zhang, and Yuntong Liu.
Project Management Team: Jenny Fan and Eva Jiang.
Client: Juegaterapia Foundation and Maternity and Child Hospital in Malaga, Spain
Area: 630 square meters
Status: Under development
Location: Malaga, Spain
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