A stone relief for the Sainsbury Laboratory of Plant Sciences. Cambridge University 2009-2011. Architects Stanton Williams.

The limestone frieze forms a backdrop to the Sainsbury Laboratory’s lecture theatre and is carved into the fabric of the building in shallow relief. The central concern was to encourage looking as a means for thought, reflecting the influence of Henslow and his work upon the aims of the Laboratory.

The Cambridge Herbarium now housed within the new Laboratory contains 4951 collations of native plant samples collated by the botanist John Stevens Henslow, mentor of Charles Darwin,—These highly sophisticated visual documents explored variation in plant species as a prelude to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.

The Sainsbury Laboratory was the winner of the RIBA Stirling prize in 2012.

With architects Stanton Williams, client University of Cambridge, funded by Gatsby Charitable Foundation, arts consultants Insite Arts Ltd and artists project manager Mary Hogben.