PROJECTS
The award-winning Maggie ’ s Centre in Manchester is a marvel of modern architecture .
Supporting cancer patients in a warm , natural environment
Winner of multiple Wood Awards in 2016 , the Maggie ' s Centre in Manchester in the UK is the latest in a long line of care facilities that redefine the boundary between architecture and nature .
By The Timber Research and Development Association ( TRADA ) All images courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners
When the late Maggie Keswick Jencks was diagnosed with cancer , she resolved to do something to help others who had the same diagnosis , to create a place of refuge for them where they would find practical and emotional support in a noninstitutional environment . It was a blueprint for a new type of care , and one which places great value on the power of architecture to lift the spirits and play a part in the process of therapy . There are now over 20 Maggie ’ s Centres in the UK and abroad ; the latest , designed by Foster + Partners , is in Manchester , close to the Christie Hospital , a specialist in cancer treatment .
The centre is a building with long , low profile with a delicate timber lattice structure , its scale and domestic character reflects the surrounding suburban houses and offer a welcoming and non-clinical environment .
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