The three Tree Panels, one in each Jubilee ward reception area, are a celebration of the iconic “Eisenhower” tree which stood on the site since the hospital’s earliest days witnessing so many changes over its 65 year life. The tree, (a Mediterranean Pine or Pinus Negra) planted in the 1940’s was a symbol of protection, hope, aspiration and wisdom, planted by the American service men, if not President Eisenhower himself. The tree looked over the whole site and provided a link to the surrounding landscape of ancient fields, hills and skies.
The removal of the famous “Eisenhower” tree, although crucial to the capital project to develop the new Jubilee building, was seen by some as a sad loss. The tree was therefore carefully dismantled in sections representative of its roots (earth), trunk (hills) and branches (skies). These sections have been used to create a panel for each of the building’s floors. The concept seeks to express the presence of the former tree as a memory moving from earth to sky as people move upwards through the building. The panels include interpretative graphic based artwork, designed by the artist, Christopher Tipping that uses material from the Archive as a resource to link the tree to the history of Musgrove Park Hospital.
Funding for the project was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund.