Art As Design Inspiration for Healthcare

We have written before about the healing powers of art in healthcare, and about using digital art and other audio visual (AV) solutions to display art throughout a facility. But, what about art as healthcare interior inspiration? If you are in need of design inspiration for healthcare buildings, what about using art as your starting point? Here are some ideas. 

Artistic Aesthetics 

Even the most seasoned designers can sometimes feel stuck in a rut when it comes to dreaming up a new concept for a facility. Perhaps especially the most seasoned feel this way, having drawn on their most inspired ideas for prior work already. If this feels at all familiar (or even if it does not), some fresh inspiration might do the trick. 

When visiting a local art exhibit or browsing galleries online, take note of how certain paintings make you feel, and then dial into why that might be. For example, did a stunning piece of abstract art make you feel stimulated, if even a bit dizzy? It is worth noting that such an aesthetic would not be the best fit for stressful healthcare environments. Also, jot down color palettes you come across that are appealing for one reason or another, or what visual focal points conjure a particular vibe. 

Something like this area of an immersive Van Gogh exhibit below, for example, might spark the idea of designing a space with sparse overhead lighting and walls that are seemingly illuminated with the use of LED technology. Floor-to-ceiling art in soothing tones of blue, white and green creates an effect as if visitors are almost underwater, floating in a serene space. Such an aesthetic could do a lot of good in healthcare spaces where healing is needed and can give you a starting point for your design. 

Inspirational Structures

Art is not only capable of inspiring color palettes and overall effects. It can also inspire the actual structure of a building. And, as designers and architects know all too well, architecture itself is art.

You may not have the resources or desire to recreate something exactly like the Arch of Constantine from Rome, but it can still inspire you to play with new ways of designing a building using AV solutions. For example, you could incorporate curved video displays in your next healthcare facility, helping enhance the moods of patients, staff, and visitors alike.

Of course, inspiration does not always have to be so literal either. When you walk through a museum or browse exhibits online, you might encounter works of art that set off a new idea. For instance, maybe you learn about this binaural audio experience and feel a rush of inspiration from the unique use of AV technology to communicate a message. This might challenge you to think beyond traditional building design to incorporate some unconventional solutions, like hidden sound design, into your next project’s physical structure.  

There is no doubt that art is inspiration, even in healthcare settings. Interested in turning inspiration into reality with an experienced AV partner? We would love to help!