Flower Trail

Reminiscent of the wildflowers that line local hiking trails, this artwork was inspired by clusters of flowering yellow fennel growing alongside Alameda Creek.

In the 78-foot-long, two-story-high entry lobby, the series of 15 flower clusters are each suspended at different heights, as if they flow down Alameda Creek into the Bay.

The installation features approximately 900 mouth-blown glass spheres in shades of yellowish green, bright yellow, and golden topaz, grouped into clusters and mounted on painted steel armatures to evoke the natural rhythm and movement of a blooming trail.

The project was conceived in late August 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when hospital spaces were under strain and daily life was overshadowed by uncertainty and mandatory facemasks. Visiting the two-story atrium, the space had long been subdued under grey scrims that had hung for decades. The client requested an installation to bring brightness, color, and uplift to the atrium as part of the upcoming renovation.