Cambridge Biomedical Campus is one of the world’s leading centres for healthcare and biomedical research. As part of a major expansion programme, a new 15,000 sq.m public realm, The Green & The Gardens, was delivered at the heart of the 70-acre campus, home to over 18,000 patients, staff, and visitors.
Commissioned through the campus-wide Public Art Strategy written by Futurecity in 2011, the project aimed to create a shared green space that promotes wellbeing, reflection and connection across the diverse campus community.
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 work creates a layered, thought-provoking environment described by the artist as “an adventure playground for the adult mind.” It marks a shift from functional infrastructure to an environment that supports social interaction, curiosity, and everyday creativity.
Launched in 2019, the project reflects the original vision of CBC to create an ecosystem that fosters collaboration, innovation, and care. It is a flagship outcome of the CBC Public Art Strategy, which continues to integrate art and culture throughout the site, alongside a campus-wide Artist-in-Residence programme.
