Bright, colorful creatures inhabit the Idaho Elks Children’s Pavilion at St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center. Behind the whimsical installation, Boise State alumnus Sam Johnson (MBA, ’16) worked as a project manager to bring both the creatures and the facility’s atmosphere to life.
Johnson works for local creative studio Trademark, which was commissioned by St. Luke’s to create an uplifting environment while promoting wellness for its patients, visitors and staff.
“It was pretty remarkable that our team turned two years of labor into just six months,” he said, referring to the many challenges he and the team faced while building the creative package in a short amount of time. “It was a learning experience for all of us, but seeing patients interact with our work now is very rewarding.”
Outside of the pavilion, elk provide a warm welcome to its guests at the entrance, foxes lurk around the corner and a massive gold bear towers on the roof. As visitors walk through the building, each floor takes them on a different Idaho journey. Some floors are all about elk and mountain ranges, others feature trout, otters and gemstones. Translucent birds – 150 of them – soar from the ceilings. Fish “swim” through the skybridge overlooking Broadway Avenue.
Take a virtual tour of Trademark’s work below. Photos by Allison Corona.