A Journey

Staff at Laffan ward described the place as drab and visually unstimulating. They felt that the environment did not celebrate their patients and did not contribute to their recovery. Our brief was to create an improved interior, that would give staff and patients talking points and encourage therapeutic relationships. We decided to focus on the main corridor of the ward, as this was a space frequently used by all patients, staff and visitors. In its original state the corridor felt very confined, dominated by rows of closed doors. In response we developed a series of ‘windows’ that open up to a sequence of hand-painted interconnected, evolving landscapes. As you walk along the corridor, a day unfolds: through the ‘windows’ a journey is revealed. As the sun first rises and eventually sets you notice somebody travelling alongside you: he rises to climb the highest mountain, she skis down the other side, he cycles across a bridge, she shines a light to find rest and shelter as eventually the night draws in.