Steven Holl Architects releases details of Maggie's Centre at St Bartholomew's
Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres has officially announced that Steven Holl Architects has agreed to design the Maggie’s Centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. Steven Holl Architects is internationally-honoured with the most prestigious awards in architecture as well as publications and exhibitions for excellence in design. WAN published the first of Steven Holl’s sketches two weeks ago.
The practice’s most famous works include the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki and the 2007 Bloch Building addition to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Maggie’s Barts will replace an existing 1960s block that was once used as offices which is located at the periphery of the square.
Steven Holl said: "It is a great honour to design a Maggie's Centre and a very special challenge to be given such an important central site in London. The hospital has been at the forefront of medial understanding for centuries. We are inspired by the deep history of the area, and particularly the nearby St Bartholomew the Great church, which has been in continuous use with marvellous music since 1143. Our proposal is like a vessel within a vessel within a vessel. In the spirit of music, architecture can be a vessel of transcendence."
Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie’s said: “We are very excited that Steven Holl is working with us to design a Maggie’s Centre. It is also a huge privilege to be able to build a Centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and we look forward to opening our doors and helping Londoners who are affected by cancer.”
St Bartholomew’s Hospital which serves a population of 1.5m in North East London is the oldest hospital in the country and has always been at the forefront of medical knowledge and understanding. It was the first hospital to train female doctors and the first to trial high voltage radiotherapy for people with cancer.
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