What do you with an outdated relic payphone? Removal was not an option for Hancock Hall, a nursing and rehabilitation center in Danbury, CT. Health codes required them to keep the payphone, even though no one could remember the last time anyone actually used it.
Enter Mural Envy. Hancock Hall gave us clear directions: Design a mural that will turn the old payphone from outdated eyesore into fun fixture. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to execute such a challenge. Payphones are iconic in culture, even if they are rarely used for their original purpose, and there is an ongoing dialogue in cities around the world about how to best reuse, or “upcycle,” these objects. We like to think that the finished mural, Nature Calls, is a contribution to that conversation.
As to the space itself, the hallway is a popular thoroughfare for residents and workers, but it has no windows to the outside. We saw the chance to bring a bit of the outdoors into the corridor, connecting an indoor space in an urban environment with the natural settings of rural Connecticut that are really just a few miles away. The antiquity of the payphone also demanded a touch of nostalgia, which is why a call to nature will only cost you five cents.
Project Details
Date: June 2017
Mural Square Footage: 46 sq ft
Level of Detail: Medium-High
Project Price Range: $700 – $900
