Aims
To provide a welcoming entrance and first impression for people arriving at the hospital.
To draw attention to the reception desk to help people navigate the hospital.
Artist Kate Blee was appointed early in the hospital design process to engage with BDP Architects on the vision for the main welcome space. This early involvement from the artist influenced the design of the main reception desk, the acoustic baffling that hangs above, and the colour scheme for the entire building.
Wrapped by Kate Blee
Blee also created ‘Wrapped’, a composition of handmade ceramic tiles that wrap the columns throughout the welcome space.
Rising 11m in some places, the columns rhythmically march through the entrance offering a large-scale, three-dimensional canvas that Blee uses to inject colour into the space.
Blee chose beautifully fabricated, hand-glazed clay tiles to deliver the colour. Perfect for a hospital in terms of their strength and durability, they also bring texture and warmth.
Brighton is full of colour; it is in the architecture and the attitude of the place. Blee wanted this work to resonate with that mood and have a positive emotional influence on those arriving at the hospital.