water for fires, 1991

Bailey Boushay Hospice, Entryway, Seattle, WA

Shimmering shards of mosaic onyx, marble, mementos coat the archway and vestibule. The entry measures 20′ deep by 12′ wide by 15′ tall. The surround of space, a skin of light reflective shards slows the entry into a place of healing. The donor column sheaths a support column for the building and creates a metaphor for the hundreds of donors listed, with the endless list of names etched in stone pages, and spliced with lines of poetry. The mementos bring intimacy, and the little bottles from a former pharmacy on the site now hold flowers brought from people within the community. The “auto court” has three distinct shaped columns provided by the architect. They are tiled with image and text, again, with the thought to slow the passage from one reality, of arrival, and the next, of entering the Hospice.