Harborview Medical Center, Seattle WA 2023
Commissioned by 4Culture
Photos: Joe Freeman Jr
The windows on the upper floors of Harborview Medical Center’s Ninth and Jefferson Building reveal impressive Pacific Northwest views. Taking those views as inspiration, Cellular Flow combines images of the region’s bodies of water with forms based on human cells, which are central to healing and are themselves largely made up of water.
Installed in the patient care and specialty clinics on the ninth and tenth floors, the 15-panel site-specific artwork features a design composed of two layers: the human cell forms in white on the top layer, and unique bodies of water—each with their own color and translucence—in the background. The work uses a turquoise borrowed from the glacial silt lakes of the North Cascades, a green from the lakes of Mount Rainier National Park, teal from the Pacific Ocean, and deep blues from the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The calming, luminous design connects the region with the beauty of science, creating a focal point for each space while inviting staff, patients, and visitors to reflect.