Arts for health in Truro Health Park

Arts for health in
Truro Health Park
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02 Forward
03 Forward
Forward
Arts for Health Cornwall has
been involved in creating a
number of arts interventions
across the Truro Health Park
site. This leaflet will give you
some more information about
the artworks and artists behind
them, and explain some of the
less visible aspects of the work
such as how members of the
local community have inspired
the designs.
At the core of all the
artworks and designs in
this building are the ideas
and preferences of local
people who now use the
health park.
This process began in 2006 with
a series of creative workshops
where local residents worked
with the lead artist rob olins to
generate ideas and designs.
designs and potential materials.
This feedback informed the
later design stages and is
clearly evident in the finished
artworks you can now see.
Local people wanted
the designs to:
•
Bring the outside in,
and give opportunities
to let the mind wander
outside
• Have a sense of natural
flowing water
• Create uplifting and
welcoming entrance
spaces
• Have a calming effect
for users of the building
As the design process evolved,
future staff and patients of the
building were asked for their
feedback and reactions to
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When it comes to ill health, it
is well documented that our
environment makes a huge
difference to recovery. It is our
intention that the artworks
and designs will make the
health park a more pleasant
and welcoming place to visit,
that while a patient is waiting
for his appointment he might
be absorbed in watching
reflections of coloured light
dance across the floor, or look
out onto the courtyards and
notice how some of the plants
have changed colour since his
last visit as the season has
changed.
Florence Nightingale once said:
‘The effect on sickness
of beautiful objects… and
especially of colours is
hardly at all appreciated…
people say the effect is on
the mind… the effect is on
the body too. Little as we
know about the way we are
affected by form, colour, by
light, we do know this, that
they have a physical effect’
Lead artist:
Rob Olins
Rob Olins was the lead artist
for all the arts interventions
at Truro Health Park. His work
is influenced by architecture,
engineering processes and
the subconscious effects that
volumes, forms and colours
have on our perceptions of
the world.
‘My initial role was to establish
what kinds of artistic works
could be integrated into
the building and where
they should be. As lead
artist, I then supervised
the team of practitioners
engaged in the project to
ensure that the health
centre has an imaginative
and integrated design.’
www.robolins.com
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05 Artworks
Courtyards
Steve Geliot
Members of the local community
were very keen for outside
spaces to be a strong focus of
the health park, giving a sense
of spaciousness and expansion
to those inside the building.
Simple glass sculptures have
therefore been used to open
up the courtyard areas to
reflect the sky above. In one
courtyard the glass structure
is set vertically with low
planting, in another it is set
horizontally with high planting.
proportion to rest of the building.
They again respond to ideas
about water raised in the
community consultation. The
rings of ‘water’ somehow seem
to break free of the rules of
gravity; hovering and standing on
end as if by some invisible power.
The courtyard plants will have
a subtle presence at first,
becoming more prominent as
the structural plants reach their
mature sizes over coming years.
Artist Profile
The glass sculptures are
intended to have a striking
presence, yet remain in
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Steve Geliot has many years
experience working in public
art. He started out as a
wood sculptor and became
increasingly interested in
collaborating to create whole
environments. Steve’s designs
aim to combine the life affirming
and dynamic energy of plants
with sculptures that respond to
the spaces.
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06 Artworks
Entrance installation 1
Aether and Hemera
The first entrance installation
is situated above the main
reception desk and is called
‘Blu Tri Veru’. The aim of
this piece was to create an
inviting and welcoming space,
lifting people’s spirits as they
arrive at the health park.
as three suspended chains
above the reception area.
The artists wanted to bring a
sense of water-like movement
to the space, so dichroic glass
was used to scatter sunlight
from outside onto the floor
inside the building, creating
an effect similar to that of
sunlight playing on water.
Aether and Hemera
Tri Veru is the old Cornish word
for ‘Three rivers’ from which
Truro takes its name. The three
rivers of Truro are presented
Aether and Hemera are the
ancient Greek god and goddess
of brighter upper air and
daylight. Otherwise known as
Claudio Benghi (a new media
architect) and Gloria Ronchi,
(a lighting artist), Aether and
Hemera’s creative approach
explores light and its effect on
our emotions. They use light to
create a sense of identity or set
a mood.
www.aether-hemera.com
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08 Artworks
Flooring
Will Levi Marshall
In the initial workshops people
commented that flooring
areas are often neglected yet
provide an opportunity to help
people locate themselves in the
building. We therefore decided
to give attention to this aspect
of the health park by appointing
an artist to design a pattern
and system for the flooring that
would work with the building
and subtly enhance the other
artworks.
Artist Will Levi Marshall
worked with specified floor
and wall coverings to develop
an integrated ‘streetscape’.
The floor, predominantly greys,
defines the route from one end
of the building to the other with
seating and reception areas
picked out using coloured
stripes and rectangles.
Artist Profile
Will Marshall trained in
ceramics and established an
international exhibition record in
that field with his work in many
public and private collections.
In his work, Will tries to create
an interplay between line
and form, altering the way we
perceive architectural spaces.
www.holmstudio.com
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11 Artworks
Monterey Pine Courtyard
Mike Westley and Rob Olins
Truro Health Park consists
of two buildings linked by a
walkway, under which the roots
from three protected Monterey
Pine trees run. We wanted
provide a reason or story to the
space, a ‘walk for the mind’ for
those looking out into it.
Artist Profiles
Mike Westley is principal of
Westley Design, a landscape
architecture and inclusive
design consultancy. Westley
Design works extensively in
health care settings to develop
multi-sensory landscapes
that positively benefit the
health and well-being of
the people using them.
a design for this courtyard
that would accentuate these
beautiful trees and invite people
using the building to look out
onto this outside space. Lines
of Paddle Stones have been
used to define the path of the
pine roots extending from the
trunks. Cutting across this runs
a curved path that shows a way
through and around the pines.
Although not strictly for public
access, the path is intended to
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www.westleydesign.co.uk
Rob Olins was the lead artist
for all the arts interventions
at Truro Health Park. His work
is influenced by architecture,
engineering processes
and the subconscious
effects that volumes, forms
and colours have on our
perceptions of the world.
www.robolins.com
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12 Artworks
Entrance installation 2
Aether and Hemera
The second entrance
installation is situated in
the GP entrance area and is
called ‘Coloured Sails’ . These
interactive light sculptures
respond to people using the
building as they walk past
them. Built-in motion sensors
trigger a colour sequence
when somebody walks below
the coloured sails, which then
Artist Profile
Aether and Hemera are the
ancient Greek god and goddess
of brighter upper air and
daylight. Otherwise known as
Claudio Benghi (a new media
architect) and Gloria Ronchi,
(a lighting artist), Aether and
Hemera’s creative approach
explores light and its effect
on our emotions. They use light
to create a sense of identity
or set a mood.
respond by sending ripples of
colour around them.
The colours have been carefully
chosen to subtly induce feelings
of calm and ease and create a
warm and pleasant atmosphere.
The two sculptures are intended
to bring a playfulness to the
space, as well as referencing the
maritime heritage of the area.
Aether & Hemera collaborated
with the architects to integrate
the artworks into the design of
the building.
www.aether-hemera.com
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14 Acknowledgements
15 About arts for Health Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Acknowledgements
About Arts for Health
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Arts for Health Cornwall and
Isles of Scilly is one of the
UK’s leading arts and health
organisations. We exist to
promote the role of creativity
in improving health and wellbeing.
Arts for Health Cornwall
and Isles of Scilly was
commissioned by Community
1st Cornwall to develop and
implement an arts and health
strategy for the new Truro
Health Park development.
We would like to thank all the
artists – Will Levi Marshall,
Steve Geliot, Claudio Benghi,
Gloria Ronchi, Rob Olins and
Michael Westley – for their
work on the project.
Thanks also to Trudy Swann
and members of the Malpas,
Trelander and Malabar estates,
Community 1st Cornwall and
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Primary Care Trust.
Research increasingly shows
that taking part in creative
activities has very tangible
effects on physical, emotional
and mental health. The arts can
also be used to dramatically
transform the buildings within
which health care is delivered,
creating inviting, relaxing
environments for the people
that use them.
Arts for Health Cornwall is
recognised nationally for
excellence in improving
healthcare; recently winning a
Guardian Public Services award
and a GSK Impact award in
recognition of the effectiveness
of our projects.
We work with trained creative
practitioners of all art forms
(from music to sculpture to
dance) who work on our
projects across the county.
For more information about our
work, please visit our website
www.artsforhealthcornwall.org.uk
All photography © Brian
Kennedy 2010, except pages 8
and 9 photographs © Will Levi
Marshall 2010 and page 14
photograph © Arts for Health
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
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Arts for Health Cornwall
and Isles of Scilly
Unit 7 Jubilee Wharf
Commercial Road, Penryn
Cornwall TR10 8FG
You can contact us by telephone:
01326 377772
Or by email:
info@artsforhealthcornwall.org.uk
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