Rochelle Haley, Lunar Sway, 2024. Commissioned by Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct as part of Transport for NSW Safer Cities Program. Photo: Zan Wimberley, courtesy the artist.
A site-specific permanent artwork by multidisciplinary artist Dr Rochelle Haley from the School of Art & Design at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture has been unveiled within the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct.
The major light installation aims to transform the laneways of the Randwick Health Campus and improve night-time connectivity and comfort in the precinct. It is the second major art project in a new Laneway Art Program commissioned by Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct and supported by Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities program.
The Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct is a 24-hour precinct home to four hospitals and a major university. Women comprise around 80 per cent of the hospital’s workforce – many working night shifts and moving through the campus streets after dark.
Photo: Rochelle Haley, Lunar Sway, 2024. Commissioned by Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct as part of Transport for NSW Safer Cities Program. Photo: Zan Wimberley, courtesy the artist.
The artwork was developed in consultation with health workers to better understand how they use the area and what would improve their experience across the site. Considering this feedback and the surrounding environment, the work has been created to improve connections for people walking across the neighbouring campuses, provide more welcoming public spaces, and enhance the feeling of community, safety, and inclusivity while walking or waiting.
“Spaces we use to transition into and out of work modes are a chance to reset our focus, a moment to take a breath to ground ourselves, and remind us of our vital and unique connection to the universe and each other,” Dr Haley said. “I hope that Lunar Sway encourages workers, visitors, and the community to look up and reflect on the constant gentle glow and to bathe in the changing colour light patterns as they walk.”
Lunar Sway features glowing elliptical orbs and gently changing light beams suspended from custom poles in two key precinct streets. Inspired by lunar cycles and the colours of the sunrise and sunset, the work illuminates a corridor through the campus to connect people when walking to public transport, providing an uplifting experience, and feeling of safety for health workers at night while acting as a beacon for the broader community. It aims to reimagine humans’ connection to the night sky and each other despite different viewpoints and experiences.
Photo: Rochelle Haley, Lunar Sway, 2024. Commissioned by Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct as part of Transport for NSW Safer Cities Program. Photo: Zan Wimberley, courtesy the artist.
The work is now set to transform the precinct’s laneways, providing an ongoing and evolving connection to the nightlife of the surrounding area.
A five-minute walk from the final stop on the L2 Randwick light rail line, Lunar Sway illuminates Nurses Drive off Avoca Street and nearby Francis Martin Drive. Visitors can stroll to enjoy the artwork and local area attractions such as the Newmarket dining precinct on Barker Street and Randwick Ritz Cinema and cafés on St Paul’s Street.
This initiative is funded by Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities program, which is investing $30 million over two years to improve perceptions of safety in our cities and towns, particularly for women, girls, and gender-diverse people.
Photo: Rochelle Haley, Lunar Sway, 2024. Commissioned by Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct as part of Transport for NSW Safer Cities Program. Photo: Zan Wimberley, courtesy the artist.