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Maggie's Centre gets 2009 Stirling Prize | |
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High Tension over Big Timber | |
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AIA Maryland Design Awards | |
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Maggie's Centre gets 2009 Stirling Prize Inside, the single-height kitchen forms the nexus of a flexible, adaptable "open house" that facilitates informal interaction among visitors. Indeed, the architects, led by Ivan Harbour, say they aimed to make the 370-square-meter (4,000-square-foot) facility "more than a house — more welcoming, more comfortable, more thought-provoking and more uplifting." Cast-in-place concrete columns frame the consultation and treatment rooms, common spaces, and garden courtyards that open off the kitchen, while administrative areas occupy a series of upper-level mezzanines open to the floor below, an informal arrangement that includes a library open to visitors. The design balances the comfort and personal privacy of visitors with a sense of vibrancy and some connection to the outside world. The tall external wall shelters the center, even up to the mezzanine level, from the visual and auditory distractions of the busy streetscape, and reverberation within the building's double-height volumes is reduced by carpets and furnishings. Separation of space can be created through the use of sliding screens, translucent glass panels, or bookshelves, allowing the flexibility to foster private personal discussions or allow a more open room. The raised roof facilitates daylighting while limiting views of the adjacent hospital tower — which the RIBA describes as "a dominant though elegant tower by Dome of Discovery architect Ralph Tubs, spoilt by a crude later podium" — a structure that is also visible from the roof terrace. Sustainable Care The building incorporates a variety of sustainable features: extensive daylighting, a high level of insulation; rainwater harvesting for irrigation; sustainably sourced timber; and the planting of over 80 trees on the site. The building is naturally ventilated throughout: each room opens onto an internal garden space. Low-E argon-filled glass is used for the majority of the external glazing, which is also shaded from solar gain. The center has a typical residential condensing boiler and features underfloor heating, supplemented by trench heaters built into the furniture on the upper floor. Integral Landscape Landscaping was given special attention at this Maggie's Centre due to the relatively harsh physical nature of the surrounding urban environment in the Hammersmith area of London. Dan Pearson designed both the landscaped approach to the building and the internal courtyards, winter gardens, and roof terrace. The internal garden areas receive daylight, wind, and rain through the unglazed rooflights. The building is also wrapped on two sides by fast-growing birch trees that will help reduce noise pollution while providing a pleasant green backdrop. A Fitting Memorial RIBA commended the architects' success in creating a comfortably informal environment: "This quietly confident building is truly, unquestionably a haven for those who have been diagnosed with cancer." That makes the facility a fitting tribute to the late Maggie Keswick Jencks, who founded Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres to provide cancer sufferers and their families and friends with humane facilities in which to learn about the illness and receive support. Her widower, the architectural writer Charles Jencks, and cancer-care nurse Laura Lee work to carry out that mission. The first Maggie's Centre, designed by Richard Murphy and built in Edinburgh, was shortlisted for the 1997 Stirling Prize. Since then, four more centers — designed by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and others — have been built in Scotland, and eight more centers are planned or under construction in the United Kingdom and beyond. The Award Maggie's Centre London prevailed over five other shortlisted buildings, including another one by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners: the Bodegas Protos winery in Peñafiel, Spain. The other four projects on the short list were 5 Aldermanbury Square in London, by Eric Parry Architects; Fuglsang Kunstmuseum in Lolland, Denmark, by Tony Fretton Architects; Kentish Town Health Centre in London, by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris; and the Liverpool One Masterplan by BDP. In other awards announced by RIBA on October 17, three clients of buildings shortlisted for the Stirling Prize were recognized as Client of the Year: Laura Lee on behalf of Maggie's, for Maggie's Centre, London; Dr. Roy Macgregor on behalf of Camden & Islington Community Solutions, for the Kentish Town Health Centre, and Rod Holmes on behalf of Grosvenor, for the Liverpool One Masterplan. The RIBA awards the Stirling Prize annually, with cosponsor The Architects' Journal, and this year also in association with Crystal CG. Named after the architect Sir James Stirling (1926-1992), the prize honors an exemplary building either built in Britain or designed in Britain and built elsewhere in the European Union. The £20,000 Prize is fully funded by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation. This is the award's 14th year. Last year's winner was Accordia, a housing development designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Alison Brooks Architects, and Maccreanor Lavington. Previous winners include the Museum of Modern Literature by David Chipperfield Architects, The Scottish Parliament by EMBT/ RMJM, 30 St. Mary Axe by Foster + Partners, the Laban Centre by Herzog and de Meuron, and Gateshead Millennium Bridge by Wilkinson Eyre Architects. The RIBA Stirling Prize 2009 jury was chaired by John Tuomey, architect, and also included Stephen Bates, architect; Thomas Heatherwick, designer; Sir John Sorrell, chair of the UK Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE); and Benedetta Tagliabue, architect. >>> Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...
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