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Nebula Chroma
A new mosaic wall for the main lobby of Children's Medical Center of Dallas

With extra special thanks to Leigh Davis, intrepid assistant extraordinaire!

• Nebula Chroma, is selected for RavennaMosaico, First International Festival of Contemporary Mosaic in Ravenna, Italy; October 10 to November 20

• Nebula Chroma wins the 2009 international Spectrum Award for Design and Detail

This dynamic mosaic mural is the focal point of the multi-story, main lobby in the newest tower at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. The hospital is one of the largest pediatric healthcare providers in the nation and is known for offering a caring environment that supports the physical as well as psychological needs of its client groups: patients, parents and caregivers. The lobby integrates reception, admitting, gift shop, cafeteria and the elevator bank around a light-filled, three-story circular atrium.just built a new tower, integrating a new front entrance for one of the largest pediatric healthcare providers in the nation. The architectectural firm on the project was FKP and RTKL was the firm responsible for the interiors. Thank you for all the support to Kathy Harper and Gena English of Children's Medical as well as Dori Mommers of RTKL. Click here for in progress pictures of Nebula Chroma.

Nebula Chroma continues Sonia's long relationship with Children's. Her first four mosaic walls at Children's Medical Center won an international Spectrum Award recognizing creativity and achievement in the use of tile in residential and commercial design. The awards are presented at Coverings each year and are sponsored by the Tile Council of America, the Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers of Spain, Assopiastrelle (the Italian tile association), the National Tile Contractors Association and the Ceramic Tile Dealers Association.

Thanks to several successful, earlier mosaic projects at Children’s, Sonia was given a prime location in the main lobby on a curved wall. The mosaic is located in the main lobby along a curved wall in the multi-story atrium. It is seen from across the open atrium from the admitting area and the main elevator bank as well as closer when going up or down the stairs to the cafeteria. The location has the advantage of natural light during the day wich fills the large open area. The ceiling features fiberoptic 'stars' which play off the reflective bits of mosaic at night.

Sonia’s goal was to create a dramatic and engaging expression of contemporary mosaic art that would appeal to viewers of all ages, remain pleasing for both caregivers and those families who may spend extended periods of time at Children’s and, most importantly, offer a moment of pleasure to cheer the spirit of people who may be worried and under stress

Because the wall is seen from several different points, it was especially important that the focal elements have both complexity and visual impact. These 'nebulae' float on a background that has a lot of interest through the laying style and materials as well as the hand-colored 'fresco grout', a popular feature of Sonia's earlier walls at Children's. The design was driven by the way the mosaic is viewed - from the elevator area across the atrium, from below and when going up and down the stairs. The designs are weighted to the right for maximum impact. Coming up the stairs, interest is piqued as more and more of the mosaic comes into view. From wherever they are viewed, the variety of materials and differing levels of reflectivity will be intriguing, even over multiple viewings.

The impact of the Nebula Chroma mosaic intensifies from the unexpected juxtapositions of one piece next to another, interacting in multiple ways: color, scale, texture, reflectivity and so on. Creatively, the decisions about each tessera's size and shape and color and how it interacts with the pieces around it were crucial. A huge variety of materials were used that were sourced from around the world: glass tiles from over ten manufacturers, multiple types of ceramic, agate slices, marble gems, beach glass, art glass, vintage mosaic glass and more. In all, more than 200 different kinds of tile from over 20 manufacturers were used in the project. And the talented mosaicist, Beth Norton of TigerLily Treasures, came out of glass-fusing retirement to once again make amazing custom dichroic glass fusions for a Children's Medical project.

As the the nebula shapes expand, the aqua area shift towards teal and sparks of purple flare towards the outer edges. The elements begin with a firey hot center of reds which blend into orange, then yellow, moving on through the color spectrum to limes, greens, aqua and teals. Purple accents sprinkle through the aqua and teal areas.

The mosaic is grouted using a hand-colored “fresco” grout technique developed by Sonia for Children’s Medical. The shifting colors add depth and visual stimulation.

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