Formica Group X Okuda San Miguel

We took on the “Come Leave Your Mark” charitable initiative in partnership with The Aladina Foundation to help refurbish the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and Paediatric Areas of the San Carlos Hospital in Madrid.

The new paediatric ICU was launched last week in an event that included the Deputy Health Minister of Madrid José Soto; Paco Arango President of the Aladina Foundation; Herbert Nindl our Regional Director for Southern Europe and the artist Okuda San Miguel.

As part of this charitable project we donated and installed the decorative laminate that has been used as wall panelling as well as part of the furniture surfaces in the remodelled area.  Here the stars of the show are the two spectacular 45 meter square murals that were designed by Okuda San Miguel and digitally printed on to our Younique^® laminate panels.

The bespoke designs printed on laminate surfaces contain the geometric structures and multi-coloured prints that are so characteristic of Okuda are located in the main hallway of the Paediatric ICU. This renovation has created an artistic space that patients family members and the centre’s medical staff all enjoy. Annually more than 1800 patients are treated in the facilities of the Paediatric ICU as well as in the Paediatric Surgery Centre and the Child and Adolescent Institute of the Hospital Clinic San Carlos.

In this context the collaboration with Okuda San Miguel was a natural choice. “We often work with architects designers and artists on multiple projects. Regarding this particular one we thought of Okuda because we were drawn to his designs and artistic creations. Okuda’s works are characterised by distinctive highly recognisable colours and a unique iconography. They may be installed in both interior and exterior spaces” concludes Bonilla.

Pictured above: Paco Arango President of the Aladina Foundation with artist Okuda San Miguel and Herbert Nindl Formica Group Regional Director for Southern Europe.

For his part the artist Okuda San Miguel points out that “there were two very interesting aspects to this project. Firstly it was exciting to start working with a material I had never used before particularly considering it implied an architectural transformation. Secondly of course the context and location of the work which will provide a great deal of positivity to children who need it.”