The Wahrendorff Hospital provides treatment for psychiatric and psychosomatic illnesses in various facilities. The medical approach aims to treat people in an appreciative, respectful and individual manner. Consequently, the requirements for the construction of a new specialist hospital for mental health were quite sensitive. The largest new psychiatric building in northern Germany was built on an area of around 15,000 square metres, featuring eleven treatment wards, 245 inpatient beds and 30 day-unit places. brandherm + krumrey developed an empathetic design concept for all patient rooms and for the specialist units of geriatrics, secure psychiatry and psychosomatics with an elective care ward. Based on the clinic-specific requirements, a comforting ambience was created that allows for retreat and conveys a sense of security, thus effectively supporting treatment and recovery. To ensure that patients find their way around and to make their stay as pleasant as possible, brandherm + krumrey designed a customised colour system. Each of the different wards, spread across three building sections with three stories, features a monochrome colour concept: shades of green, blue and red accentuate the three building sections, facilitating orientation and identity-building. The monochrome colour assignment was consistently applied to all public areas of the wards and the patient rooms. Various saturation levels of the selected shades create variety and establish a nuanced and memorable colour atmosphere. Recurring motifs include homey elements like textiles or wooden surfaces. For instance, the beds in patient rooms are framed with wooden built-in units that provide storage space and convey a sense of security. The colour of the frame infills matches the respective ward’s colour, enhancing the feeling of security. Floor-to-ceiling textile curtains serve as privacy screens and light protection and underscore the high-quality and homely ambience. Additionally, carpeting or vinyl flooring with a woven sisal look is laid in the elective care areas with hotel comfort. On the regular wards, soft materials like linoleum and vinyl are used as floor coverings, which are visually softened with patterns in the ward’s colour in the dining areas. The design concept by brandherm + krumrey also creates an inviting and pleasant overall impression in other ward areas. This includes reception and corridors areas, waiting zones and visitor rooms, service points, multifunctional, therapy, and relaxation rooms, doctor’s offices, conference, seminar, and creative rooms, teaching kitchens, public and ward-specific sanitary areas, as well as foyers. A well-thought-out, sensitively chosen selection of colours and materials counteracts the often sterile and monotonous impression of hospitals. By creating a sensually appealing environment, the low-threshold therapeutic offerings and the humane treatment approach of the new specialist hospital are profoundly supported.