While most all of the realized Maggie’s Centres have been horizontal buildings, the centre at St. Barts will be more vertical, sitting on the historically charged site. It will replace a pragmatic 1960s brick structure adjacent to a 17th century stone structure by James Gibbs, holding the “Great Hall” and the famous Hogarth staircase.
Maggie’s can confirm that the City of London Planning and Transportation Committee has passed a resolution to grant planning and listed building consent for a new Maggie’s Centre at St Bartholomew’s hospital.
Steven Holl said, "It is a great honor 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 marvelous 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".
The structure is a branching concrete frame, the inner layer is perforated bamboo and the outer layer is matte white glass with colored glass fragments recalling “neume notation” of Medieval music of the 13th century. The outer glass layer is organized in horizontal bands like a musical staff while the concrete structure branches like the hand. The three story centre has an open curved staircase integral to the concrete frame with open spaces vertically lined in perforated bamboo. The glass facade geometry, like a musical “staff” is in horizontal strips 90cm wide, which follow the geometry of the main stair along the north facade, while lifting up with clear glass facing the main square, marking the main front entry. There is a second entry on the west opening to the extended garden of the adjacent church.
The building tops out in a public roof garden with flowering trees open to a large room for yoga, Tai Chi, meetings etc. The interior character of this building will be shaped by colored light washing the floors and walls, changing by the time of day and season. Interior lighting will be organized to allow the colored lenses together with the translucent white glass of the facade to present a new, joyful, glowing presence on this corner of the great square of St. Barts Hospital.
CREDITS OF THE PROJECT
Architect.- Steven Holl Architects.
Team.- Steven Holl, Chris McVoy, Dominik Sigg (design architects). Martin Kropac, Christina Yessios, Bell Ying Yi Cai (project team).
Client.- Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust (Maggie's).
