Atrium, Hellingly Centre

Painter Hannah Brown drew on the restorative power of nature in her vast woodland scene for the atrium that joins three medium secure wards. The view in the painting transitions from daytime to evening and has a path that splits in two at the centre, offering different directions for the viewer to travel in. This could be a metaphor for the recovery process itself.

Paul Greep, a peer support worker said, ‘I love it. I just could walk into it. It’s like it’s inviting me to walk into some kind of forest or wonderland or rainforest. I think we have to really challenge the environments we expect people to live in. Good architecture, good furnishings, good decoration are all really crucial. I think the idea of beautiful things is still really important and if we don’t provide that, what are we saying to people? You deserve a scruffy room to be in for several years? I think not.’