Recycling a Hospital and the Spirit Case

Recycling a Hospital

Building community within the university through art and the Spirit Case

Recycling a Hospital is an interdisciplinary arts project that connects woodworking, poetry, stone carving, ceremony and photography, and aims to honour the Old Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Lauriston Place and the memories connected to it. The project is facilitated by Edinburgh Futures Institute, which recently moved in to the refurbished former hospital, and is a partnership between them, the Binks Hub, and the Grassmarket Community Project.

The motivation behind the project is the belief that before embarking on the building’s new life as an educational space, it is vital to honour the experiences of people who were connected to the building whilst it was a hospital. 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 were part of these memories. As the building transitions into its new life, these memories should not be forgotten.

Background

The project began in late 2021, inspired by the transformation of the Old Royal Infirmary into the new home of EFI. Recognising the hospital’s deep public significance, the project team sought to engage with its legacy not only through sustainable reuse of materials but also by honouring the intangible spirit of the building and its community connections. The materials of the old building bore a rich history and symbolic connection to the former hospital, so letting them be disposed of in usual ways did not feel right. Instead, the project team decided to give the materials a new life in the form of an artwork. That way, the materials would contribute to not only the physical, but also the symbolic transformation of the building.

The Spirit Case

At the heart of the project is the Spirit Case—an artwork constructed from reclaimed materials from the hospital, including 150-year-old pine floor joists and locally-quarried slate roof tiles. The Spirit Case is both a physical and symbolic object, designed to house the ‘Spirit of Publicness’ and reflect the lives, memories, and emotions tied to the hospital.

Collaborative Making

The Spirit Case was co-created through four artistic practices:

Woodworking: Led by Dr Jimmy Turner and supported by the Grassmarket Community Project, the wooden cabinet was crafted from reclaimed pine and elm.
Poetry: Jennifer Williams facilitated workshops with former nurses, community members, and EFI students to co-create poems reflecting personal memories.
Photography: Gintare Kulyte captured portraits and objects that represent participants’ connections to the hospital.
Stone Carving: Gus Fisher engraved the co-created poems onto slate and stone, integrating them into the Spirit Case.

Community Engagement

The project foregrounds community participation and co-production. Workshops invited diverse voices to reflect on the hospital’s legacy, fostering intergenerational dialogue and creative expression. The Pelican Nurses League played a key role in sharing stories and contributing to the poetic elements.

Launch and Legacy

The Spirit Case was installed in EFI in May 2024. A ceremonial event, designed with ritual expert Ekaterina Shurkova, marked its launch. The project continues to ask: can the Spirit of Publicness endure in a transformed space? The answer lies in ongoing community engagement and institutional commitment.

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