Recycling a Hospital is a project that seeks to reuse materials from the old Royal Infirmary on Lauriston Place that could not be used in the redevelopment of the building into the new Edinburgh Futures Institute.
The project began with the discovery of interesting materials on the construction site. These materials – large wooden floor beams and roof slates – were not in good enough condition to contribute to the refurbished building. However, we realised that they nevertheless bear a rich history and symbolic connection to the former hospital – so letting them be disposed of in usual ways did not feel right.
Instead, we decided to give the materials a new life in the form of an artwork. That way, the materials will contribute to not only the physical, but also the symbolic transformation of the building.
Since the hospital was so central to the city’s life, many people in Edinburgh have memories connected to it – from the joys of a child being born, to the sorrows of illness, the relief of healing, or mourning following death. The building also saw numerous cohorts of nurses and doctors who started their careers in it and witnessed, and were part of, these memories. As the building transitions into its new life, these memories should not be forgotten.
https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/recyclingahospital/about-the-project/
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