1. Feb 2004 15:13 13. Apr 2004 18:05

Art

At Helsebygg Midt-Norge, art is regarded as a necessary and natural part of the hospital design.

In harmony with the accent on daylight, greenery and beautiful views, art for indoor as well as outdoor areas should promote the comfort and wellbeing of the hospital’s users.

"We plan to have more smaller art projects rather than a few large ones," says Helsebygg's chief architect, Ragnhild Aslaksen.

In some cases, the objective will be a specific product where form and content are clearly defined. Other projects will allow more scope for experimentation.

The artists should be involved from an early stage. The budget is limited, so facilities for patients, especially children, will be given priority.

Current and future users of the hospital as well as the local community will be involved in choosing art for the centres. For example, children from schools and kindergartens in Trondheim have contributed ideas on art for the Womens and Childrens Centre.

	Trolls??

The first project was the decoration of the radiotherapy unit. The artist, Hanne Heuch, has created a mural using glazed tiles.

In 2000, we ran an extensive art competition to find art installations for the hospital grounds. Several art projects were selected; with Kåre Groven's five imposing boulders with lights as the most striking of these. They are now a feature of the central strip in the street of Olav Kyrres gate.