Henslow’s Walk by Susanna Heron
Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University
When Susanna Heron, an artist internationally renowned for her work with architects on site specific projects was asked to produce a piece for the Sainsbury Laboratory, a plant research facility located in the Botanical Gardens of the University of Cambridge, she chose us to manufacture a frieze in Jaumont yellow limestone which is also used as part of the fabric of the building.
The work is entitled Henslow's Walk after John Stevens Henslow who produced the university's collection of plant drawings which inspired the artist. It is composed of 104 stone panels ranging in size from 850mm x 750mm to 450mm x 400mm with abstract shapes based on Henslow's drawings traced into the limestone.
We were also commissioned to carve the plaque commemorating the opening of the building by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The building, designed by architects Stanton Williams won the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2012 and was shortlisted for two major awards: the World Architecture Festival Award in the Learning and University/College Buildings category and for the Major Building Project over £50 million category in the British Construction Industry awards.
This was the first of a series of collaborations with Susanna. The most recent is Esquina, at Emmanuel College.
project details
architect: Stanton Williams Architects
client: University of Cambridge
artist: Susanna Heron
material: Jaumont Yellow