Outpatients Building

Morriston Hospital

Bright waiting room with green seating and large wooden benches.
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The art for the Morriston Hospital Outpatients building celebrates local identity, geography, and social history.

We worked with four Welsh Artists, Katie Allen, David Jones, Alan Goulbourne and Danielle Arbrey.

Katie Allen (work shown above) drew on the hospital’s surrounding countryside. She depicted stepped hillside locations; Three Cliffs Bay, typical woodland valleys, hillsides, moorland and the sky framed by cherry blossom. These were used for wayfinding, with each floor matching the corresponding step in the landscape. The ground floor features elements such as the beach and the upper floors depicts scenes of the sky.

The rich cultural and social history of the area is brought to life in verse and imagery, with illustrations by David Jones and poems by local writers carved into giant bench frames designed by Art in Site.

The poems feature various local touches, including the use of gnomic verse – think Welsh haiku – and one poem in the local dialect of the estate across from the hospital.

David Jones’ work features across the hospital, brining humour and stimulation to waiting spaces and corridors.

"Great visit to see facilities at Morriston. Designed for patients. A modern NHS for Wales. Impressive."
Service user, via Twitter
Large engraved wooden bench frame.
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White sculptures hanging from the ceiling.
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The fractured patterns of striated rock in the Welsh Coastline are depicted in Alan Goulbourne’s white sculptures, hanging from the wall and ceiling of the waiting area.

A close collaboration between sound engineers, estates, contractors and artist, Gouldbourne’s pieces also play an important acoustic role in a busy, cavernous, space.

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Paper cut out art of falcon above field.
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Swansea University illustration graduate Danielle Arbrey created the cut paper illustrations that decorate the paediatric department.

Arbrey carried out her research through collaborative workshops with children, in which they discussed journeys they took on a daily basis and what animals triggered their imaginations.

Collaborating with playworkers and Arbrey, Art in Site developed a tablet app to be used by children in the waiting room.

Art in Site also commissioned and coordinated a stained glass memorial dedicated to organ donors. This piece is the result of conversations between spiritual and pastoral care providers in the hospital (led by Rev Nigel Jenkins), donor recipients and families of donors, as well as the artist and poet.

Each of these groups were brought together to input ideas, which eventually was agreed upon as a stained glass piece, designed by Katie Allen and fabricated by Simon Howard. A poem by local writer Menna Elfyn encircles the glass.

Circle stained glass memorial with poem encircling it.
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Project Information

Date
2014
Sector
Healthcare
Service
General Hospital
Client
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Artists
Katie Allen
David Jones
Alan Goulbourne
Danielle Arbrey
Team
Awards
BBH Awards
2013
Winner
,
Award for Best Collaborative Art Project
BBH Awards
2016
Highly Commended
,
Best Collaborative Arts Award
BBH Awards
2016
Highly Commended
,
Patient’s Choice Award