Maggie’s Centres provide free, emotional, and social support for people with cancer and their family and friends in the UK. The centres exemplify the client’s belief in the uplifting power of design and landscape.

The new Centre will be nestled behind the Royal Free Hospital, replacing a small staff car park that sits below a residential area atop a steep slope. While the hillside offers some protection from seasonal winds, it also generates a substantive amount of water run-off into the site of the new building and landscape.

To create a nurturing, comforting experience, the design focused on the concept of wrapping, or embracing, as the method for achieving small and private seating areas. The notion of “lobes” within the landscape evolved into the creation of small courtyards throughout the space where people can sit alone or in a small group with their families. The levels are expressed by a series of ribbon walls that mix and weave towards Maggie’s Centre, directing visitors to the front door. The spaces between the walls become wider and thinner to create pockets of seating and planting.