University Health moves 14,000-pound 'Flor de Esperanza' from Medical Center to new South Side hospital

University Health transported a 14,000-pound sculpture, Flor de Esperanza, from a storage site on the North Side to its new location at University Health’s Palo Alto Hospital under construction on the South Side. The move took place Saturday morning, shifting the 23-foot-tall steel artwork—designed by Sebastián and painted bright yellow—from near Blossom Athletic Center to the future hospital site. Previously displayed at University Hospital in the South Texas Medical Center, Flor de Esperanza was removed and placed in storage in 2019 to allow construction of University Health’s Women & Children’s Hospital. The sculpture was restored by Wanderlust Iron Works, and Allison Hays Lane, curator of the SaludArte program, oversaw the relocation. Palo Alto Hospital is scheduled to open in April 2027.