This outdoor sculpture is one of the building’s three signature pieces of artwork.

Adding to the new building’s contemporary feel will be paintings, sculptures and other installations that offer artistic interpretations of the scientific breakthroughs happening inside, as well as the sense of caring and compassion patients will feel there.

The hospital has acquired approximately 40 pieces of original artwork for the new building, according to Kathleen Hughes, assistant vice president of Donor Relations in BWH Development. Those include three signature pieces: a large outdoor sculpture, a prominent painting in the first-floor atrium and an encaustic (wax-based) piece to be installed in the ground-level lobby. The third item is on a long-term loan from the Karsh Center at the Museum of Fine Arts, through a partnership with philanthropist Estrellita Karsh.

The remaining artwork will consist of smaller pieces in patient exam rooms, infusion rooms, waiting areas and hallways throughout the building.

In addition, several architectural features contribute to the building’s aesthetic, including the glass staircase in the main lobby—a blue and green interpretation of humans’ genetic code. On the walls of the clinical floors will be colorful panels with imagery representing the various specialties, such as creative displays of neurons in the Neurosciences Center.