The Children’s Hospital at Westmead has opened its new Wattle Building to the public, marking the latest piece of a broader redevelopment that officials describe as the largest investment in paediatric health in New South Wales in 25 years.
Designed by Billard Leece Partnership for Health Infrastructure and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, the building is one of three major projects that also include the new Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick and the Minderoo Children’s Full Cancer Centre, which opened at the end of 2025.
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A building that tries to feel less like a hospital
The Wattle Building’s design philosophy puts family-centred care at the front. That means more natural light, spaces for play, and connections to the surrounding setting. The goal, according to the project brief, is to support clinical care alongside wellbeing, family connection, movement, and access to nature.
Single-occupancy patient rooms are described as “bedrooms not wards.” Inpatient units are arranged as neighbourhoods of 12 rooms each, with multi-purpose family spaces that families can access 24/7. Interactive play and discovery zones dot the building. Biophilic design — the practice of using natural materials, plants, and views to reduce stress — is woven throughout.
The new building links paediatric health services across three existing buildings. It also includes support facilities for families and carers: a small grocery store and outdoor spaces meant for respite and play.
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Numbers and scale
The project has a gross floor area of 57,000 square metres — roughly the size of eight rugby fields. It also includes a 1,004-car multistorey car park. The redevelopment is part of a larger state government push to modernise paediatric care across Sydney.
Some healthcare observers note that while the design is commendable, the real challenge will be staffing and operational integration. New buildings alone don’t fix workforce shortages or the complexity of coordinating care between separate hospital campuses. But the physical infrastructure is now in place.
That investment is the largest in paediatric health in NSW in a quarter-century, though officials have not released a final total cost for the Wattle Building alone.
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A tangent on the car park
The 1,004-car parking structure isn’t the most glamorous feature of the new building, but it addresses a persistent complaint from families who have long struggled to find parking at Westmead. Whether that number is enough remains to be seen — the hospital is one of the busiest paediatric centres in the country. Still, the building’s planners made a deliberate choice to put the car park underground and preserve above-ground space for gardens and play areas.
The Wattle Building officially opened its doors to patients and families this month. One paediatrician involved in the planning said the building’s layout should make it easier for clinicians to work across specialties. He added, “It’s not just about the architecture — it’s about how the space lets us actually talk to each other during the day.”