Design that honors a Dale Chihuly sculpture at the Nebraska Medical Center
Inside and Out provides a vibrant healing art piece at the centerpiece of a new midtown Omaha health clinic
Recent Perspectives
For many patients, a visit to a medical campus can be accompanied by anxiety, uncertainty, or vulnerability. Moments of beauty, wonder and human expression can play a powerful role in reshaping that experience.
The Shikhar and Kristin Saxena Health Center at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is a healing environment designed around that principle.
Greeting visitors at the northern edge of the Nebraska Medical Center campus will be Inside and Out, Dale Chihuly's monumental blown-glass sculpture. Rising 30 feet tall and spanning 25 feet wide, the vibrant installation has long been recognized as a cultural landmark in Omaha.
The nearly 100,000 SF midtown Omaha health center will house the hospital system’s dermatology program, as well as outpatient GI, behavioral health services and general internal medicine.
Drawing on architecture, engineering and interior design disciplines, the LEO A DALY team created a facility to honor such an important part of Omaha’s arts fabric while elevating the patient experience.
A soaring structural glass volume places the Chihuly installation at the heart of the building's identity, turning it into a visible beacon for patients, staff and visitors approaching campus. Encased by five custom-fabricated insulated, low-iron glass panels, each reaching nearly four stories in height, the sculpture transforms the building into a lantern of color and light, connecting the institution to the city beyond its walls.
The team researched worldwide, drawing inspiration not only from the art piece itself but also from the large-scale glass panels present at Apple stores. Working closely with partner Architectural Wall Systems, the team developed a design that’s unique in Omaha.
“This building will be the northern gateway to the Nebraska Medical Center, and we wanted to make sure the Chihuly sculpture was on full display,” said Healthcare Design Director Jonathan Fliege said. “Our concept was to juxtapose state-of-the-art structural glazing technology with the centuries-old practice of glassblowing, linking art and architecture with the use of one common material. The nearly mullion-less glass facade, ultra-transparent glazing and cutting-edge lighting showcase the artwork in a way that was inconceivable during the sculpture’s initial installation in 2000."
The influence of the Chihuly sculpture extends throughout the architecture. Light, transparency, movement and organic form informed the design language of both the exterior and interior spaces. Curving sun-shading elements provide depth and texture across the façade, while custom finishes, terrazzo flooring and layered lighting reference the fluid qualities of the artwork itself. The result is not a building that competes with the sculpture, but one that amplifies its presence.
In doing so, the project demonstrates how healthcare architecture can serve a purpose beyond clinical care. It can become a cultural destination, a civic landmark and a source of community pride. When design embraces art as an essential component of the human experience, the places we create have the power to heal not only the body, but also the spirit.
As the Shikhar and Kristin Saxena Health Center prepares to open in 2027, Omahans will again experience the massive display of the Chihuly installation. And patients will enter a healing environment that blends cutting edge care with a healing environment.
Interested in learning more? Learn about LEO A DALY’s healthcare capabilities, then contact LEO A DALY Healthcare Senior Director Jeff Monzu.
Meet the Designer
Jonathan Fliege, AIA, NCARB
Vice President, Director of Healthcare Design
Jonathan Fliege brings more than 30 years of experience leading complex healthcare projects ranging from small clinics to large greenfield hospitals. An award-winning architect, he has led design on landmark projects including the Omaha VA Ambulatory Care Center, which earned the AIA National Healthcare Design Award, and his thought leadership has been published in Healthcare Design Magazine and Medical Construction & Design Magazine.