Patient-Centered

Spacious radiation therapy practice with rooms that convey positive energy

What do you do when your practice is experiencing steady growth and you're reaching the limits of your physical space? For two experienced physicians who had successfully run a radiation therapy practice in Recklinghausen for more than twelve years, the answer was clear: they needed a new facility. They commissioned the architecture firm sektor 3 architekten to design and oversee the construction of a purpose-built building.

"The selected site, often referred to as a 'greenfield' location, presented challenges of its own due to its positioning, quite apart from the building's functional requirements," recalls architect Ulrich Meisenheimer. Yet every obstacle was overcome and every challenge successfully addressed—a testament to the impressive result achieved today. The outcome is a symmetrically designed cube featuring dynamic projections and recesses, offering 2,000 m² for the radiation therapy practice and an additional 800 m² for the oncology clinic. To future-proof the investment, provisions for potential expansion were also incorporated into the design. The building has been aptly named "OncoCubus," a logical choice given its distinctive cubic form.

While the building's exterior strikes an impression through its crisp architectural language, this geometric clarity is deliberately softened in the interior. Through thoughtful spatial design, the rigorous geometry of the cube gives way to a more human-centered environment. Abundant natural light floods through large windows, creating a welcoming atmosphere. Green-covered walls that resemble hanging gardens further enhance the spaces and foster a sense of positivity. The objective was to make the therapy rooms—where anxiety and concern are constant companions—feel brighter and more hopeful through generous natural light and fresh greenery. The interior finishes play an equally essential role. Cohesive wood surfaces throughout all built-in furniture, carefully coordinated flooring, and wall colors create a unified, harmonious aesthetic. The central axis running through the building is punctuated by glass ceilings, heightened soffits, and a sophisticated lighting concept with seemingly floating fixtures that create dynamic interplay between light and shadow. This treatment of the entrance area feels particularly welcoming, open, and luminous. While walls, floors, and ceilings are architectural boundaries, they can radiate warmth and evoke emotion—as they do throughout OncoCubus. Here, cutting-edge medical technology for oncology and radiation therapy is elegantly contained within two high-security rooms, with meter-thick walls and ceilings plus a radiation protection door weighing an impressive 23 tons ensuring maximum safety. Necessity demands what it demands—but as always, execution is everything. And in OncoCubus, the execution is exceptional.

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