©One Hat One Hand and Adrienne Eberhardt

At the junction of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 52nd Street stands a grove of redwood trees, the location of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Once a contrasting neighborhood, Temescal Creek flowed through the present hospital site, and before 1984, MLK Jr. Way bore the name Grove Street, enforcing racial housing divisions in Oakland. "The Grove" symbolizes historical and racial landscape divides and the contemporary redwood grove, creating a collective memory of the locality and nature.

This grove metamorphoses the concourse linking 52nd Street and the hospital's Outpatient Center into a lush, textured natural space. It showcases three wayfinding tree sculptures against a neutral painted wall. A lenticular glass panel structure adorns the opposite wall. Crafted from Spanish cedar dowels and steel collars around concrete columns, the sculptures stand at 9 feet, inviting observers to appreciate their intricate design. As one enters, the glass panel mural portrays nature and water, a tribute to Temescal Creek. Exiting the hospital's east atrium or parking garage reveals a dewy Muir Woods scene. By night, existing lighting illuminates the sculptures and casts intricate shadows, transforming the concourse into an immersive relaxation space.