Laser-cut artwork lifts hospital patients' spirits

Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England - A local business has successfully worked alongside one of Yorkshire’s top surface pattern designers to make a hospital much more inviting for its patients and visitors.

Designer Rebecca Stoner approached laser cutting and engraving specialists Cutting Technologies Ltd. when she was commissioned to create a wall feature for York Hospital’s Breast Imaging Department in the Magnolia Centre, which is part of the Cancer Care Centre. Her design, which comprises of laser-cut magnolia flower heads in mild steel, mirrors Rebecca’s previous work on vinyl for the department’s windows. The design also features additional flowers, leaves, butterflies, and bird motifs.

Cutting Technologies put their world-class machines and expertise to work to cut Rebecca’s delicate but complex design on mild steel panels. They were then powder-coated to give them their cream color, which gives the panels a lace-like quality against the vibrant red of the hospital walls. Rebecca said: “I wanted to create a pattern that was bold enough to be seen as people passed by but that on closer inspection, should a visitor want to stop or slow down, reveals lots of interesting detail. Visiting this particular department can be an anxious and unsettling time so we wanted to provide a visually pleasing distraction.”

Jane Robinson, director of Cutting Technologies, said: “We’re thrilled with the way the project went and proud that we’ve been involved in something which may help lift the spirits of people going through some very difficult times. Rebecca’s intricate designs on metal lent themselves perfectly to laser cutting and the finished product is wonderful.”