What is the purpose of these centres?
Facilities such as the Maggie’s centres offer a warm, friendly, comforting and welcoming environment for people who are in their last stages of life or going through treatment. These centres help to achieve a comfortable experience through aesthetic architectural design incorporated within the peaceful natural environment.
It’s Importance:
Maggie’s Centres are designed and built on a domestic scale as opposed to commercial just as a hospital would be. Therefore, it creates a completely different atmosphere for patients, one of hope, joy and more importantly, familiarity. When a patient feels familiar with their surroundings it helps them get back into routine enabling them to get into that mind-set they were in before they fell ill. This is mainly due to the mental/ psychological association of building material, interior layout, lighting and interior decoration. For example, the Aberdeen’s Centre’s chalk-like exterior wall, which continues inside the building, has a sense of safety about it, which is achieved by the smooth continuous curves and the solidity of the walls interpreting the traditional plastered brick walls in old houses.
However, in a hospital their surroundings in all cases constantly changes; patients are moved around to and from different wards depending on their conditions and their rate of deterioration and never quite being in a stable and unchanging environment, which could be unsettling.
The exterior however, should be artistically as well as architecturally inspiring as first impressions count, especially in such facilities, as these patients will be living here for a long period. Therefore, as peculiar and morbid as this may sound, they need to be enthralled, enthused and almost enchanted just as a young child would do at the gates of Disneyland, about to embark on an exciting adventure. Except this ‘adventure’ is not as fast paced and requires patience and will power both physically and mentally. For many this would help with the recovery process as they begin to feel motivated because they can actually see their end goals, driven by the visual appeal of the building and the mood it creates.
Also, patients see themselves no longer as ‘patients’ as they feel more and more at home, particularly when they become hosts to their visitors. For the visitors it must be heart-warming and reassuring to see their loved one enjoying their last few moments or recovery period as though they’re in a retreat and less daunting.
It’s Importance:
Maggie’s Centres are designed and built on a domestic scale as opposed to commercial just as a hospital would be. Therefore, it creates a completely different atmosphere for patients, one of hope, joy and more importantly, familiarity. When a patient feels familiar with their surroundings it helps them get back into routine enabling them to get into that mind-set they were in before they fell ill. This is mainly due to the mental/ psychological association of building material, interior layout, lighting and interior decoration. For example, the Aberdeen’s Centre’s chalk-like exterior wall, which continues inside the building, has a sense of safety about it, which is achieved by the smooth continuous curves and the solidity of the walls interpreting the traditional plastered brick walls in old houses.
However, in a hospital their surroundings in all cases constantly changes; patients are moved around to and from different wards depending on their conditions and their rate of deterioration and never quite being in a stable and unchanging environment, which could be unsettling.
The exterior however, should be artistically as well as architecturally inspiring as first impressions count, especially in such facilities, as these patients will be living here for a long period. Therefore, as peculiar and morbid as this may sound, they need to be enthralled, enthused and almost enchanted just as a young child would do at the gates of Disneyland, about to embark on an exciting adventure. Except this ‘adventure’ is not as fast paced and requires patience and will power both physically and mentally. For many this would help with the recovery process as they begin to feel motivated because they can actually see their end goals, driven by the visual appeal of the building and the mood it creates.
Also, patients see themselves no longer as ‘patients’ as they feel more and more at home, particularly when they become hosts to their visitors. For the visitors it must be heart-warming and reassuring to see their loved one enjoying their last few moments or recovery period as though they’re in a retreat and less daunting.
Favourite Centres
Maggie’s Centre: Oxford by Chris Wilkinson (Wilkinson Eyre)
It's significant how the building emerges from the forestry because being surrounded by nature is somewhat therapeutic. This effect is cleverly achieved by placing wooden lattice planks on the external glass as though it has been stripped down from the surrounding trees- a man-made home. Overall, a natural, organic and refreshing environment is created when contrasted against the landscape.
Glass panels reflect the plants, trees and the natural surroundings as well as bringing in natural light. It ensures that patients even those that are too sickly, can enjoy nature and wildlife, whilst in a thermally comforting environment- cosiness. They are able to be apart and at one with the natural environment without risking their health.
This also looks very similar to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, especially his Falling Water building in Pennsylvania, as both structures blend in with the natural environment, subtly. So rather than creating an urban environment that accommodates as well as compliments our modern living and therefore modern structures, the structure rather takes form of the natural environment- the natural resources and materials it was birthed from. This is why both buildings seem unforced and again subtle, which creates an overall tranquil atmosphere, especially for the patients.
The tree house inspiration again helps create a sense of adventure, which evoke all the emotions associated with it as stated in my previous article.
It's significant how the building emerges from the forestry because being surrounded by nature is somewhat therapeutic. This effect is cleverly achieved by placing wooden lattice planks on the external glass as though it has been stripped down from the surrounding trees- a man-made home. Overall, a natural, organic and refreshing environment is created when contrasted against the landscape.
Glass panels reflect the plants, trees and the natural surroundings as well as bringing in natural light. It ensures that patients even those that are too sickly, can enjoy nature and wildlife, whilst in a thermally comforting environment- cosiness. They are able to be apart and at one with the natural environment without risking their health.
This also looks very similar to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, especially his Falling Water building in Pennsylvania, as both structures blend in with the natural environment, subtly. So rather than creating an urban environment that accommodates as well as compliments our modern living and therefore modern structures, the structure rather takes form of the natural environment- the natural resources and materials it was birthed from. This is why both buildings seem unforced and again subtle, which creates an overall tranquil atmosphere, especially for the patients.
The tree house inspiration again helps create a sense of adventure, which evoke all the emotions associated with it as stated in my previous article.
Maggie’s Centre: Highlands by David Page & Brian Park (Page/Park Architects)
This particular centre is inspired by cell division (mitosis) hence the ovular shape. It therefore represents the “unit of life”. (Jencks, C., 2005), which in itself sends out a positive message to the patients, giving them the hope of life encouraging them not to give up, but to fight on.
The copper cladding, which appears to have been weathered to a patina colour, has something familiar and homely to it. It mimics or at least tries to recreate the typical American country home with the coloured timber cladding by using copper as a substitute, resulting in a sense of homeliness and familiarity, which is always comforting and reassuring. This further creates a sense of belonging, fulfilment and serenity, which could be seen as the void of being away from society, family and disconnected from the rest of the world filled- a sense of contentment.
The curvature of the building second to the cladding is one of the most significant features as it not only compliments the curved grass lawn and stone landscape but also represents life- eternal life, which is suggested implied from the continuous curves.
The exterior is not entirely cladded in glass, which is essential in such a centre, as patients would like their privacy and perhaps time to look back and reflect on the moments of life without any interference or distractions. Sometimes patients may want to be completely isolated, especially when not feeling optimistic especially in their darkest moments/hours.
Interior looks modern with colourful furniture contrasted against the dark and rich wooden flooring and panelling giving it a vintage feel whilst maintaining its homeliness and sense of familiarity.
This particular centre is inspired by cell division (mitosis) hence the ovular shape. It therefore represents the “unit of life”. (Jencks, C., 2005), which in itself sends out a positive message to the patients, giving them the hope of life encouraging them not to give up, but to fight on.
The copper cladding, which appears to have been weathered to a patina colour, has something familiar and homely to it. It mimics or at least tries to recreate the typical American country home with the coloured timber cladding by using copper as a substitute, resulting in a sense of homeliness and familiarity, which is always comforting and reassuring. This further creates a sense of belonging, fulfilment and serenity, which could be seen as the void of being away from society, family and disconnected from the rest of the world filled- a sense of contentment.
The curvature of the building second to the cladding is one of the most significant features as it not only compliments the curved grass lawn and stone landscape but also represents life- eternal life, which is suggested implied from the continuous curves.
The exterior is not entirely cladded in glass, which is essential in such a centre, as patients would like their privacy and perhaps time to look back and reflect on the moments of life without any interference or distractions. Sometimes patients may want to be completely isolated, especially when not feeling optimistic especially in their darkest moments/hours.
Interior looks modern with colourful furniture contrasted against the dark and rich wooden flooring and panelling giving it a vintage feel whilst maintaining its homeliness and sense of familiarity.