Art has been an integral part of healthcare facilities for many years, with art in public areas welcoming people to the facility, and corridor walls hung with paintings to brighten the environment. This “curatorial” approach is however falling out of favour with client teams. Increasingly art is not being incorporated as merely decorative, it is being used to create change and improvement in patient wellbeing and health, and enrich the lives of staff and visitors; it can be active. From discussions with several health boards and design teams, the key considerations and opportunities highlighted include staff and patient engagement, how the art can be actively used, how it affects the users of the building and how it can be used directly to improve health and support change.
When considering an arts strategy, it is important to consider how the patients, staff and visitors will engage with the art. Whilst installations in public areas may make the facility seem more welcoming in principle, they may not be involved or noticeable within the everyday running or experience of the facility. Similar pieces, if placed strategically, could be used to change the atmosphere of an area, and hence the behaviour and mood of its occupants, aid wayfinding, or be used as a device to create or support a specific activity. In the West Centre in Drumchapel, Glasgow, a centre for children and families, the art is placed in public areas, but used as curiosities that can be discovered over time, clinical staff can reward child patients with the discovery of a new piece or experience.Art has many forms, and these can all be utilised to serve different needs. They all also can generate activity in different ways.A key step is to consider how they are viewed or explored and then consider in which space or situation this could be utilised best. For example the traditional “picture” based art is best appreciated being looked at, full on, for some time. This suggests its use in areas where people stop and wait, where they can feel bored, or restricted; such as in bedrooms, treatment areas or waiting areas. This does not have to just mean traditional pictures, it could include text to read, intricate sculptures to examine or moving pieces such as video footage of local natural environments using web cams.
A key step is to consider how they are viewed or explored and then consider in which space or situation this could be utilised best. For example the traditional “picture” based art is best appreciated being looked at, full on, for some time. This suggests its use in areas where people stop and wait, where they can feel bored, or restricted; such as in bedrooms, treatment areas or waiting areas. This does not have to just mean traditional pictures, it could include text to read, intricate sculptures to examine or moving pieces such as video footage of local natural environments using web cams.
Art has many forms, and these can all be utilised to serve different needs. They all also can generate activity in different ways. A key step is to consider how they are viewed or explored and then consider in which space or situation this could be utilised best. For example the traditional “picture” based art is best appreciated being looked at, full on, for some time. This suggests its use in areas where people stop and wait, where they can feel bored, or restricted; such as in bedrooms, treatment areas or waiting areas. This does not have to just mean traditional pictures, it could include text to read, intricate sculptures to examine or moving pieces such as video footage of local natural environments using web cams.In corridors, where people move quickly and are exploring unfamiliar surroundings, art should be adapted for this speed and focus level. It can also be involved in signage and wayfinding, either though highlighting areas that then become recognisable and act as markers, or directly through the incorporation of signage. In Kentish Town Health Centre, a primary care facility in London, the walls are painted with large brightly coloured motifs representing the various specialities housed in the facility. These enliven the main waiting area and route, which are then visible from upper levels, orienting building users. The building’s signage uses a similar painted approach with large symbols and clear bold text to simplify wayfinding integrated into the overall art scheme. Interestingly, the facility does have areas with more conventional framed works in the corridors, but this is used to house the informational posters and flyers that could otherwise clutter the walls and weaken the overall scheme and effect.
In corridors, where people move quickly and are exploring unfamiliar surroundings, art should be adapted for this speed and focus level. It can also be involved in signage and wayfinding, either though highlighting areas that then become recognisable and act as markers, or directly through the incorporation of signage. In Kentish Town Health Centre, a primary care facility in London, the walls are painted with large brightly coloured motifs representing the various specialities housed in the facility. These enliven the main waiting area and route, which are then visible from upper levels, orienting building users. The building’s signage uses a similar painted approach with large symbols and clear bold text to simplify wayfinding integrated into the overall art scheme. Interestingly, the facility does have areas with more conventional framed works in the corridors, but this is used to house the informational posters and flyers that could otherwise clutter the walls and weaken the overall scheme and effect.
Art can also be used to provoke discussion and communication. In the new Midpark Hospital for Acute Mental Health, NHS Dumfries and Galloway created the “perspective project”, where staff and patients were invited to select their favourite locations in the local area, which were then photographed and the images placed in meeting areas in the hospital. These areas and images can now provide a focus for conversations between visitor and patients when these can otherwise sometimes be difficult.



The use of art in healthcare facilities should not be considered as a final stage or fit out issue as it can then be overlooked, lost through funding problems or not integrated fully into the design of the whole environment. For best effect, art can be incorporated into the building itself and the external environment. In the West Centre, the external fencing, waiting area screens and reception desk have been designed as art based built elements, replacing, rather than adding to, other planned spend. If tackled early enough, art’s production can be used to ease the transition for patients and staff into new facilities. Art is an opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of all the building users and improve the performance of the facility through wayfinding and a positive environment.
There is more information on art in health spaces and public areas available at Public Art online and Building Better Healthcare
For more information on the West Centre and its art strategy see the Pulse page, and the NHS GG&C page.
For more information on Kentish Town Health Centre see the Pulse page and the architects’ website.
For more information on Midpark Hospital see the Healing Spaces overview
Willis, Jane, Improving the patient experience: The art of good health – a practical handbook, NHS Estates, contains advice on managing art collections in the hospital environment. Part of this publication relating to the Private Finance Initiative is reproduced here by kind permission of NHS Estates.
For an example of the possible steps and stages of setting up an art strategy, see the art and wellbeing section of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Design Action Plan.