In 2009 Modus Operandi was appointed by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity to organize two invited competitions to commission integrated artwork for the interior and exterior of the new Health Centre. Paul Morrison won the commission for the interior and Daniel Sturgis for the exterior of the building. The artists worked alongside architects Henley Halebrown Rorrison to integrate their work permanently into the architectural design, creating a visual journey around the exterior and the interior of the building.
The design of Daniel Sturgis’ corten steel and concrete frieze on the building’s ground floor facade takes its inspiration from the urban architecture that surrounds the site and makes reference to the utilitarian modernism of the mid-century welfare state that it can be seen in some ways to continue. Through repetition and mirroring, cut-out block motifs of different scales build a narrative which encircles the exterior of the building.
Paul Morrison’s wall painting Anthocyanin introduces nature into the interior of the building. He creates an artificial landscape composed of plant forms and botanical imagery, drawn from popular and classical sources, that invites the viewer to complete the image in their mind’s eye. The work is intended to integrate harmoniously with the architecture, drawing the eye upwards to the natural light entering the building through the central roof-light of the main staircase. His frieze creates a 360° vista that can be viewed from multiple vantage points as one rises through the space.
Commissioned with the generous support of Guys and St Thomas’ Charity and Building Better Health 2012.
