Maggie's Centre

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

The new Maggie's centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London would take forward the work done by Cancerkin which is already established within the hospital. It is to be designed by world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind whose practice creates architecture that is resonant, practical and sustainable and is renowned for its ability to create landmark structures using both innovative and traditional building solutions.

The scheme is to be small in scale and has been sited to take into account the wider long- term masterplan proposals for the Royal Free Hospital. The building site for the new centre will be located at the lower southwest corner of the RFH’s parking ground.

Maggie’s at the Royal Free Hospital presents a fantastic opportunity -- not only to create a new and original building -- but more importantly, to serve a population that will benefit greatly from its presence. We strongly believe in the mission of Maggie’s, established by their founder Maggie Keswick Jencks. The unfortunate reality is that everyone’s life today seems to have been touched by cancer in some way. We see the role of this building as providing an oasis for those affected by cancer, a place of respite in an ever more chaotic and bureaucratic world.

Visitors to Maggie’s at the Royal Free Hospital will be able to visually identify its presence from afar, as it will be designed to contrast with its more clinical hospital surroundings, drawing in newcomers with an approachable and undulating timber form. We have maximized the potential of the site by keeping the footprint small at the ground level, and expanding the form as the building rises. Although limited in size, the site will be landscaped with both soft and hardscape areas and offers quiet seating as well as connecting to existing walkways on the hospital campus. The building will be nestled into a planted garden in the rear and fronts along Rowland Hill Street which provides direct access into the two entry points of the building.

An additional garden component of the design has been elevated to the roof level to create a serene enclosure for visitors, a peaceful outdoor retreat that aligns with the canopies of the surrounding foliage. Timber has been chosen as a renewable material to emphasize the building’s human character, and to further differentiate it from its surroundings.

The prefabricated vertical louvers forming the facade have been oriented to act as shading devices, creating intimate spaces within the interior, but also framing views and admitting diffuse natural light. Interior layouts have been composed to maximize natural light exposure along the building perimeter; additional light is ushered in from the roof garden skylights above. Spaces flow freely from one programme area to the next, enabling moments of quiet and repose, but also engendering dialogue and socialization with other guests. Both form and materiality embody a nurturing quality -- one that provides a sense of calm and relief as visitors cross its threshold. The experience within the building is primarily focused on the community and support found there; exterior and sky views are sensitively framed to maintain this focus.

The scheme has been designed to ensure outlook from the adjacent Argenta House is protected, with careful analysis undertaken of daylight impact on the individual windows and habitable rooms. A total of 97 windows serving 26 rooms were assessed for daylight within this building. 93/97 (95%) windows assessed pass VSC. The four windows that experience transgressions beyond the recommended BRE guidelines are situated along the first floor. These four windows are assigned to two rooms. One window serves a living room and kitchen/diner, with the three remaining windows serving a bedroom, which the BRE regards as less important for daylight impact.

The project team have carefully considered the construction programme to ensure minimal disruption to the hospital users and nearby residents. The façade will be manufactured off site in sections and assembled on site. Vehicle movements will be kept to a minimum.

We are looking to deliver an extraordinary building to meet an undeniably valuable need.

Project Credits:
Project: Maggie's Centre
Architects: Studio Libeskind