Explore the
Hans Rosling Center
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/09/30210604/1-Window-Sails.jpg)
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.
-
At the north end of the Rosling Center, landscaping, art and terraced steps combine to form a lush, active gateway to campus.
-
Collected on-site, rainwater is treated in bioswales, which remove debris and pollution before releasing the water into Portage Bay.
-
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.
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/09/13181403/20200911_HRC-Interior_236.jpg)
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.
-
The spirit of Hans Rosling’s lifework is captured in the center’s common areas.
-
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.
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/09/13182919/boundless-topography-01-thumb.jpg)
“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.
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/09/13183607/antecedents-01-thumb.jpg)
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.
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/09/13184134/newones-01-thumb.jpg)
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.
![](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2020/09/13184617/untitled-01-thumb.jpg)
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.