Maggie's, the pioneering cancer charity that provides uplifting spaces for cancer patients, their families and friends to seek practical, emotional and social support, is adding to its critically acclaimed portfolio of dignified design, with a second centre proposed for Greater Manchester.
Following in the footsteps of Foster & Partners for Maggie's at The Christie, due to open in early 2016, London based dRMM Architects have submitted a planning application for a hovering oasis in the grounds of the Royal Oldham Hospital.
Maggie's Chief Executive, Laura Lee said, 'We're absolutely thrilled to be working with the Royal Oldham Hospital and dRMM Architects on this project. The Centre, designed by dRMM is built around a sloping garden, offering rooms full of light and garden views creating a calm and uplifting environment for everyone that visits the Centre.'
Funded by The Stoller Charitable Trust, the design for Maggie's Oldham is a modest timber and glazed box, suspended over a garden, with a central open light-well that filters daylight down to a reflective rainwater pool, encouraging planting to grow through the building.
'We're delighted and proud to be designing Maggie's Oldham; a special place offering help, hope and inspiration to thousands of people with cancer,' said Alex de Rijke, Director of dRMM Architects.
Characteristic of dRMM, the simple palette of materials includes engineered timber and glass, with seasonal colour introduced by the garden. Photo © Tom Etchells
Accessed by bridge, the visitor is greeted with unexpected views of the Pennine horizon, and the light-filled void of trees reveals simultaneous views of the sky and garden below. Photo © Lea Ingemann Bjerg
Framed by pine and birch trees, the garden will offer ‘open air rooms’ with a reflecting rainwater pool located directly underneath the open light well, inviting nature into the semi-open interior space above. Photo © Alex de Rijke
-
20 things that positively delighted us in and around Design Miami this yearFrom covetable 20th-century masterpieces to a tower made from ceramic pickles, these were the works that stood out amid the blur of Art Week
-
Montcalm Mayfair opens a new chapter for a once-overlooked London hotelA thoughtful reinvention brings craftsmanship, character and an unexpected sense of warmth to a London hotel that was never previously on the radar
-
Magniberg’s latest bedwear collaboration with Our Legacy is beautifully sun-faded and lived-inColoured using dyes derived from plants and minerals, the new bedding sets and pyjamas are meant to evoke the feeling of ‘a well-worn band T-shirt or your favourite vintage sweatshirt’, says Our Legacy co-founder Jockum Hallin
-
A refreshed 1950s apartment in East London allows for moments of discoveryWith this 1950s apartment redesign, London-based architects Studio Naama wanted to create a residence which reflects the fun and individual nature of the clients
-
In this Cotswolds home, drama meets minimalismCotswolds home Hiaven house, with interiors designed by McLaren Excell, is a perfect blend of contemporary chic and calm, countryside drama
-
David Kohn’s first book, ‘Stages’, is unpredictable, experimental and informativeThe first book on David Kohn Architects focuses on the work of the award-winning London-based practice; ‘Stages’ is an innovative monograph in 12 parts
-
Find solace in the forest at this expansive treehouse retreat in DorsetFor sale for the first time, a treehouse, Mallinson’s Woodland Retreat, is a tribute to the skill of designer and master craftsman Guy Mallinson
-
Modernist Scotland explores the country’s impressive legacy of contemporary architectureA new book, Modernist Scotland, delves into the art and ambitions of the International Style in post-war Scotland, presenting 150 projects that typify an age of optimism and innovation.
-
100 George Street is the new kid on the block in fashionable MaryleboneLondon's newest luxury apartment building brings together a sensitive exterior and thoughtful, 21st-century interiors
-
Take a tour of Retrofit House, the live showcase inspiring sustainable homebuildingRetrofit House, a showcase for residential redesign using biomaterials and environmentally smart methods, opens in Birmingham, UK, spearheaded by Civic Square, Dark Matter Labs and Material Cultures; we paid it a visit
-
How Maggie’s is redefining cancer care through gardens designed for healing, soothing and liberatingCancer support charity Maggie’s has worked with some of garden design’s most celebrated figures; as it turns 30 next year, advancing upon its goal of ‘30 centres by 30’, we look at the integral role Maggie’s gardens play in nurturing and supporting its users
