The Green and The Gardens

Cambridge Biomedical Campus is one of the worlds’ leading healthcare and biomedical research centres. A new 15,000+ sq.m public realm, The Green and The Gardens, was delivered as part of a major expansion programme at the heart of the 70 acre campus; home to 18,000 patients, doctors, nurses, scientists, support staff and visitors.

The Green & The Gardens is a public space for everyone on the campus, including patients, employees and visitors. Led by internationally renowned British artist Ryan Gander, in collaboration with Gillespies, landscape architects, the concept transforms the space into a green heart for the campus. Together they developed the design and selected the planting, furniture and lighting. Gander integrated sculptural elements: coloured tents made of polyurethane resin that glow at night, an open gateway, a stile, and a community noticeboard for the whole campus to use and follow.

The sculptures have been made to transform the space, accentuating its role as a place where anyone can come to think or socialise with others. An adventure playground for the adult mind.

Ryan Gander says: “If you think back through time, across England’s towns and villages there used to be common ground for all; a common place to walk around and for personal and communal recreation. My vision is for this public space to be reminiscent of that, a level playing field for everyone to play on. It is a space where the public realm meets public art to evoke feelings of recreation, time-out and escape. I hope it will be a catalyst to help people daydream a little, think their way out of any challenge they face and find inspiration for new thoughts and ideas.”

The inauguration of The Green and The Gardens in June 2019 was aligned with the original vision of the campus to create an ecosystem that is conducive to collaboration, innovation and excellence in science and health. The project forms part of the CBC Public Art Strategy, written by Futurecity in 2011. The strategy integrates arts and culture throughout the campus to benefit all campus users, through this significant public realm commission, supported by a campus wide Artist-in-Residence programme.

Learn more about the making of The Green and The Gardens:

1. Introduction to The Green & The Gardens. 2015. Video here.
2. Ryan Gander & Andy Robinson’s lecture to CBC campus audience in October 2018. Video here.
3. Ryan Gander visiting the site in Jan 2019 to finalise the project. Video here.