THEY are landmark buildings which have been designed with one purpose in mind – to offer those suffering from cancer a place where they can find relief from the consequences of their condition.
Now an exhibition in Glasgow will allow others to explore the many Maggie’s centres which have been set up across the country thanks to millions of pounds raised for charity.
The Lighthouse, Scotland’s centre for Architecture and Design, is hosting a showcase of 13 centres which have been opened in Scotland and England or will be completed next year.
The buildings were designed by some of the world’s most high-profile architects, including David Page, Frank Gehry, Lord Richard Rogers and Zaha Hadid, and have won many awards for their unique style and innovative features.
Titled The Architecture of Hope, the exhibition opens today and runs until November.
Maggie’s was set up by Maggie Keswick Jencks, a writer and landscape designer who died from cancer in 1995. Before she succumbed to the disease, the mother-of-two set in motion a plan to build a place where people with the condition could be supported through the illness.
Since the initial centre was opened in Edinburgh in 1996, many more have been built, with each designed to be distinct from the others.
Last year, the centres were visited by almost 78,000 people affected by cancer.
Speaking about the display, Maggie’s co-founder Charles Jencks said: “There are some fantastic models of the buildings on show, including one made out of ceramic that is absolutely stunning.
“The architecture of each centre is absolutely central to show that we care about patients, and want to create a virtuous circle between them and their relatives.I have had many patients come up to me to say thank you for giving them a place where they can think about what has happened to them.
“The buildings try to be a house which is not a home, a church that is not religious and an institution which is not institutional.”
The exhibition marks the 15th anniversary of Maggie’s Centres, and the display will include models of the first centre which opened in Edinburgh in 1996 and the Stirling Prize winning centre in London, which opened in 2008.
Architect David Page, who created centres in Glasgow and Inverness, said: “The philosophy of Maggie’s is that every single building should be different, just as every one of their patients is different.
“It’s a philosophy of the individual rather than the corporate. Architects are given a very similar brief but can interpret that in their own way and come up with something unique.”
Ian Elder, from The Lighthouse, said: “We are delighted to host this exhibition of Maggie’s centres.
“It will enable visitors to see how design and architecture can help create an environment in which people can be supported. It will also highlight the fantastic work done in Maggie’s centres over the last 15 years.”
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