Angie's Garden: A Rooftop Escape to Nature
To say we’re proud of the rooftop therapy garden we've designed for University Hospital in Cleveland would be a huge understatement.
Angie’s Garden at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital was donated by Char and Chuck Fowler in memory of their daughter, Angie. Curated and commissioned by LAND Studio and UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, our designs have refreshed the garden and extended its healing imagery onto the hospital building itself.
The garden is an amazing feature of the Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute at the hospital which allows patients and their families respite from the clinical environment, without having to leave the site.
It is a space to interact with nature, breathe fresh air, look up at the sky and enjoy year round blooms, high above the city below. “The garden is a place to find peace, and to reconnect with nature.”
When designing the artwork, it was important to create something that felt fully immersive; applying our signature larger-than-life florals and wrapping the curved walls of the building top to bottom. We were sensitive to our younger viewer, adding sculptural breakaway elements at all heights for children and teenagers to interact with. The inclusion of insects and pollinators in the composition brings energy and life to the art, whilst reminding us of the rhythms and interconnectedness of the earth’s ecosystems. Each one with an important role to play, no matter how small.
The bold blue background reflects the sky above and the composition flows horizontally drawing the eye around the space, inviting you to explore. All of which works hand in hand with the beautiful complimentary planting scheme that the amazing hospital team put together, inspired by the artwork itself. In the garden you'll find a combination of native species and edible plants, offering visitors a chance to learn more about the origins of our food.
The seamless blend of plants into artwork creates a cohesive design which we couldn’t be more pleased with, and the positive feedback from patients, families and staff means the world. For years, we’ve championed the power of public art and nature to improve mental wellbeing, and this project embodies that commitment.
However, it’s more than theory: studies confirm that nature imagery in hospitals lowers stress and anxiety. Viewing nature imagery and art increases brain activity linked to emotional regulation and sparks alpha waves, inducing a meditative calm. It truly works.
Thank you to LAND Studio, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Deru Landscape Architecture & KEW, the Fowler family and all others involved in making this artwork happen. We hope this work will help to provide some small reprieve during life’s most challenging times.
