Siberian Larch seats, three
Leverndale Hospital, Glasgow
A Public Art Commission for ‘Design in the Dale’. The Commission brief was to create a series of external art and design interventions to support wayfinding and provide creative experiences for patients and staff when walking the hospital grounds. There are 3 creative elements produced for the Commission – the mural, the four external tiles and here the three Siberian larch seats.
The three seats are made from Siberian Larch and are biophilic in design, shaped like a 3 leaf clover with the bright dandelion yellow metal supporting the wood. Two seats are sited on the green opposite the mural, a third is along the path in a sun trap, looking down the path with handmade tiles installed on the external wall behind. The wood grain is smooth and rich, they will age to a beautiful silver tone. These seats were designed in collaboration with super architect/designers @KennedyTwaddle.
‘Design in the Dale’ is made up of a cross-section of NHS staff, voluntary sector organisations and service user volunteers, who are working to enhance the experience of Leverndale Hospital’s in-patient community by welcoming arts into the hospital and improving the aesthetic appeal of the local environment for all.
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For this Commission, I created a colour palette and design narrative that had a biophilic approach to all the elements. In this way, the art and design interventions encourage a sense of calm and rest by connecting to nature and the natural environment.
My Commission’s aim was to develop ways Hospital patients and staff can contribute and generate material for my design concepts and ensure a sense of placemaking by and for patients. These art interventions along the path and within the Hospital grounds create an empathetic design narrative for wayfinding and enhance their understanding and experience of the external spaces.
