Garden of Peace - Birmingham Women’s Hospital

"Ascending Swans"

The brief for the commission was to design and install a water sculpture, seating, sign and litter bin, in a small garden in the hospital grounds for the benefit of patients and staff. A principal purpose of the garden is to provide a place for peaceful contemplation.

The sculpture is designed to describe the flight of a pair of swans rising from water. The sculpture is mounted on a water-filled plinth, with water pouring from it through valleys into the larger circular pool below. The sight and sound of the trickling water is relaxing for visitors of the garden.

The sculpture has no direct spiritual connection yet the images of freedom, tranquillity, peace and journey can be found by the viewer who might seek these sentiments.

The sculpture is forged and fabricated in mild steel, galvanised for water-proofing, and finished in graphite black paint for easy maintenance.

Three benches surround the pool, these are of differing widths, a wide bench to permit a family to sit together, and two smaller benches that allow a person who wishes to sit alone to remain undisturbed.

The litter bin uses elliptical detailing similar to that used in the seats.

The sign has laser cut detailing with a Braille translation along the top for visitors with visual disabilities

Foundation Stone Frame, Birmingham Women’s Hospital

The stone set within the frame was first laid in the front wall of the original Women's Hospital at the beginning of the twentieth century. On the closure of the old hospital the stone (weighing almost 1 ton) has been relocated at the new Women's Hospital in the steel frame above (height approx 1500mm)