Art in Site

Seal, Evelina CRF

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust

As good as gold

Patients coming to Seal all have allergies to something – such as food or materials. The clinicians are here to help, to better understand the problem and to find solutions.

Typically, patients will do a lot of waiting around during their visits, all the while confined (for clinical reasons) to their beds. Boredom, anxiety, dread, fear – these feelings can all too easily creep in. Patients might also go through nausea and vomiting. It’s sometimes a very tough experience.

We decided to bring in a sparkling, generous spread of gold leaf as a homage to the Victorian architecture of the South Wing of St Thomas’s (opened 1871). The gold spreads across artwork panels, ceiling tiles, and the round window returns – helping to channel warm-tinted sunlight around the room, and encouraging the gaze towards the incredible views over Westminster. Seals, illustrated by Kiriko Kubo, swim joyfully around the room – across walls, the ceiling, through weeds, and onto bedheads. The effect is playful, grand, and uplifting – less like a cold, clinical space, and more a dazzling children’s palace, where children feel special and their struggle is respected and recognised.

Patients really like doing drawings as they wait (some visits can last upto 8 hours!), so we adapted some of the seals’ tails to act as magnetic mounts – giving parents and play specialists a dedicated (and infection-controlled) space to proudly celebrate their creativity. Families will typically return here about once every six months, and staff love being able to hang up their drawings to greet them at their bedside.

Community is vital here. Families and staff will form bonds as they re-meet over the months or years. We integrated a “who’s who” board, which matches photos of staff to their names, helping to make these introductions and reconnections as easy as possible.

The children and families who come here have to be brave. Our work sends a strong signal to them that says: “you’re special, and you can do this. We’ve got you.”

Praise for CRF

“People have said how bright and beautiful it is. Children go around the walls following the images and tracing them. They have used the Evelina colours everywhere which is great. Parents who have come to us before so know what it was like previously say it’s amazing and was worth the wait”

- Matron, Allergy Services

This case study is part of the wider “Evelina Clinical Research Facility (CRF)” project – featuring three departments incorporating art, interior design, playful journeys, and colour. See Projects for all Evelina CRF case studies.

The artwork has been supported by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, which helps create a world-class environment for patients, staff and visitors at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Find out more at www.supportgstt.org.uk.

Date 2020

Sector Healthcare

Service Children's Allergies, Outpatients

Commissioned Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Trust

Artist Art in Site, Kiriko Kubo

User Group Children & Families