"To The Future" is an abstract sculpture close to the main entrance of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham ("QEHB") in Edgbaston.
The sculpture was created by Richard Thornton in 2013 and represents the double helix structure of DNA in polished stainless steel. The piece celebrates the coming together of previous hospitals in Birmingham onto the new site in Edgbaston.
A separate polished stainless-steel panel next to the sculpture is inscribed as follows:
'Richard Thornton
2013
To The Future
This sculpture was commissioned
by the friends of the Queen Elizabeth
Medical Centre with a legacy from the
Mindelsohn family, who have made a
valued and lasting contribution to the
original United Birmingham Hospitals
and the Queen Elizabeth hospital
Birmingham'
Some people also refer to the sculpture as 'finger crossed' which is probably apt for lots of visitors and patients at the hospital. (
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On Richard Thornton's website is a time-lapse video of the creation of the sculpture. At this site the following information is given about the sculpture:
'Commissioned by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with the financial support of the Mindleshon Foundation, as an iconic piece for the main entrance to the hospital to celebrate the coming together of several specialist hospitals on to the one site.
8.5M tall in polished stainless steel the design takes advantage of the perspective of those viewing from the upper floors of the building, incorporates low-level lighting and embodies the strength and positive future of the new hospital.' (
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On his LinkedIn web page Richard Thornton describes himself as follows:
'I am a professional sculptor. So far, during my career, I have completed more than 40 public art projects and have continually developed my professional practice showing my work at a range of private and public galleries and sculpture shows. I engage with public projects because I want to contribute to transforming places to unique spaces and I produce sculpture, drawings, prints and painting because they are what I am."
Richard graduated from Nottingham Trent, University in 1986 with a master’s degree in Fine and Studio Arts.
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Source: "Positively Birmingham" by Jonathan Berg (ISBN:978-0-9523179-8-2)
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