The Wee Room

Royal Hospital for Children, Govan, 2023-24

In collaboration with Graven and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Chairty

CD: Reneé Chater

I provided surface illustrations for the Wee Room in the Royal Hospital for Children. I was contracted through the interior design agency Graven. The Wee Room is a multifunctional space located within the ward. It is designed to provide calm, solace and privacy away from the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the unit.I provided surface illustrations for the Wee Room in the Royal Hospital for Children. I was contracted through the interior design agency Graven. The Wee Room is a multifunctional space located within the ward. It is designed to provide calm, solace and privacy away from the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the unit.

"My illustrations for The Wee Room pay tribute to Glasgow's natural environment and the city's role in public health history. My historical research focused on native Scottish plants and how they were used to treat illness. These common plants can be found growing throughout the city today. Before the first Glasgow children's hospital was built in the late 1800s (the last major city in Europe to have one), working-class parents relied heavily on herbal home remedies for their children. My table illustration pattern is based on an 18th Century Lanarkshire folk remedy for a'sore tummy'-something children have suffered from and parents have had to treat through millennia. The large wall-mounted illustration shows a peaceful scene inspired by the wild Arrochar Alps and urban Yorkhill Park, and expresses the healing power of nature. Mosses feature heavily as they were used in bandaging and wound dressing. The badger represents the etymological histories of Govan, Ibrox and Yorkhill-specifically the 'ath-bruic' or 'badger's ford' that prior to industrialisation connected two ancient townships on opposite sides of the River Clyde. I hope the symbolic 'ford' can once again connect both old and new children's hospitals. The window illustrations are based on Medieval carvings of wildlife and the remnants of the old forest located in Govan. Indigenous Birch and Rowan trees are known for their ancient medicinal properties. From the cold swimming cures that were popular in the Victorian era, to the mental health awareness movement of the early 21st century, our connections with the natural world are essential for future health and wellbeing."
"Others are subtler reflections of Walker’s desire to create “a space that has a soul”, such as the “Wee Room”, a private area with soft lighting, in contrast to the standard clinical glare, where parents can compose themselves after leaving their child in surgery."