Art in hospitals is such a good idea. The above photos are from Michael Garron Hospital, here in Toronto. One thing I have never understood is why so many hospitals look and feel depressing. (My mom is a nurse and so I was around them growing up.)
I fully appreciate that utility is first and foremost and that construction budgets are always tight. But it strikes me that if there’s one place where you want the opposite of depressing, it is in the places where people go when they’re already not well.
It also doesn’t necessarily need to cost more to be “not depressing.” A little creativity and caring goes a long way.
I don’t know, maybe this is so often the case because the people making the important decisions don’t believe that our environments affect our well being. So the design process naturally reduces to just getting the utilitarian parts right and not spending a penny beyond that.
Whatever the case, I do believe that our environments affect us. More than most of us probably appreciate. And so naturally, I think that art in hospitals is a very good thing.
BRANDON DONNELLY 
Right on! Art for hospitals very valuable. For patients and for staff to perceive that this hospital is up to date and caring and is a nice place to work.
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Good point about staff, as well.
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An actual study from years ago: when rooms in hospitals look out to nature, convalescent and recovery times get shorter. A clear proof that it actually PAYS off to have “good design”
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I’ve seen this study as well! It makes total sense to me.
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One way for Hospitals to build an art collection is to encourage collectors to donate art to hospitals. Vancouver General Hospital has an art curator. The hospital is covered with art — each piece with a small tag acknowledging the donor.
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