Explore the
Hans Rosling Center
The Rosling Center’s dynamic western facade features vertical glass fins that make efficient use of the natural environment — minimizing heat gain and glare, and maximizing light and views of the U District and Portage Bay.
Serving as a multidisciplinary connection point between the greater community and the University, the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health fosters formal and informal opportunities to connect, reflect and create.
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At the north end of the Rosling Center, landscaping, art and terraced steps combine to form a lush, active gateway to campus.
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Collected on-site, rainwater is treated in bioswales, which remove debris and pollution before releasing the water into Portage Bay.
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With space for both small and large group gatherings, two rooftop terraces offer a panoramic view of campus, the U District and the Seattle skyline — reinforcing the Rosling Center's position as a nexus of collaboration among students, faculty and the community.
The Rosling Center’s flexible learning, meeting and work spaces support the varied activities of UW faculty, students and staff — along with partners and visitors from a wide range of disciplines.
Building signage is integrated into woodblock feature walls representing the diversity of contributors to the cross-disciplinary field of population health. Local species of wood were selected to withstand the Pacific Northwest climate and reflect the building’s geographic location.
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The spirit of Hans Rosling’s lifework is captured in the center’s common areas.
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The storytelling wall, located prominently in a commons area, speaks to the mission of the Population Health Initiative and the work of Hans Rosling. A video monitor and frames for changeable graphics allow for up-to-date communication about the importance of population health.
Several art installations created by a diverse mix of artists are located throughout the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health — celebrating the power of creativity, acknowledging the humility required to look after the world we live in and drawing inspiration across historic eras and cultures.
“Boundless Topographies,” by Rachel Mica Weiss
“Boundless Topographies,” by Rachel Mica Weiss, is a monumental sculptural installation in the heart of the Rosling Center. Suspended at varying altitudes, glowing nylon fibers form a harmonious system of peaks and valleys, bringing together representations of the highest summits from each of the seven continents.
RYAN! Feddersen’s “Antecedents”
RYAN! Feddersen’s “Antecedents” is a set of five light boxes that blend inspiration from scientific practice, concepts rooted in Plateau tribes’ origin stories and ruminations on our relationship with the life-forms and ecosystems with which we share the world.
Wangechi Mutu’s “The Seated IV”
Wangechi Mutu’s “The Seated IV” represents a regal woman resembling a futuristic sage, inspired by caryatids — sculpted female figures that serve as architectural supports — from both classical African and European traditions. Here, she is positioned as a dignified leader, free from the responsibility of supporting the weight of history and the world.
Ben Zamora’s “Forever Ending 2”
Ben Zamora’s “Forever Ending 2,” in the Rosling Center’s Starbucks café, captures and holds a moment of transition, frozen in time. Tinted frames stack like microscope slides, reflecting the converging campus community and the energy created in connecting ideas and passion with care and compassion.
