Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Patient Elevator Lobbies Floors 7-10

The four patient elevators at Doerenbecher Children’s Hospital are very fast so while the children wait for their short ride to another floor, they are entertained by ceiling dioramas on two floors, while etched steel & textural glass panels invite their exploratory touch on the other two.

“River” & “Forest” Shadow Boxes:

Tin animals with colorfully painted & tooled folk designs peek from the stamped foliage on the cut plexiglass layers of the lighted, ceiling shadow boxes. Sometimes, nurses give the patients flashlights to shine up to better find the creatures.

Glass & etched steel panels: “Meadow Mice”, “River Guardians”, “Frogs” & “Hummingbird”:

The playful fused glass panels were fired twice- first to melt shapes into the background panel & again to tack foreground shapes to create a 3-dimensional surface. The elements are smooth but elevated to invite touching, allowing a sight impaired person to “see” the images by feeling their contours. Each of the four glass panels is mounted with a stainless steel panel etched with animal prints. A pair flanks either side of the elevator door.